Women in the late 19th century and early 20th century suffering through depression or mental instability were given a new and innovative treatment at the time named “rest cure”. The treatment was created by Dr. Silar Weir Mitchell, a famous U.S. physician in regards to neurasthenia, who put the cure to use with mainly household mothers and wives suffering through depression. In essence, the cure entailed isolation from loved ones and a basic milk-based diet for six to eight weeks. Overall, the treatment was created to instill utmost rest and sleep, presumably free of thought, activity, intellect, and other motherly household tasks to help the women regain her strength and mind. However, for most, the cure ultimately led to a worsened mental condition like author Charlotte Perkins Gilman who had a very negative experience with the treatment. In her story “The Yellow Wallpaper”, she gives a firsthand negative account of the “rest cure” and exemplifies the effect it had on women in the late nineteenth century. While the story not only displays the absurdity of the rest cure and how ultimately the woman treated becomes more mentally unstable then she was before, it also shines a light on the unfair role of a woman during that time period.

In the beginning of the story, the woman, perceived to be named Jane, speaks about the wellbeing of the house and the spookiness involved with it. We are given a basic description of a Gothic styled home in the outskirts of town, thus echoing a bit to the idea of Gothicism and the traditional roles of women as wives and caretakers in Gothic styled homes. Jane comments on her condition and how her husband John is a doctor and has prescribed her to the rest cure and how she is essentially being ordered to do nothing at all. However, through her commentary we see her small doubts and possible distrusts of the system as for instance she says, “Personally I disagree with their ideas. Personally I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change would do me good” (Gilman, 300). In an outside source written by Julia Mueller we are given a similar outtake by a woman suffering with depression journaling her feelings on being subdued to rest cure. Throughout her journal, Mueller slyly speaks often with a pessimistic tone regarding the cure, as she believes that it may not be the best thing for her but she does not have much of an option. It brings about parallels to the roles of women at the time, and how regardless of if they may think the cure works for them or not, if a male doctor prescribes it to them then they are essentially forced to try to deal with it as women were not given a choice. Also, the journal further portrays that women at the time were not treated much more than mothers and caretakers of the home of which they resided in, which is why women with depression were being summoned to rest at their homes and not do anything, in hopes that enough rest at their own home would ultimately lead to them being able to do their basic duties as wives and mothers soon after. 

Jane has several moments in the story explaining the instances when she tries to write but has her privileges taken away by her husband John and his sister.  The story and some of the sources explain that he abolishment of writing is just another part of the rest cure. For instance, at one point of the story Jane says, “There comes John, and I must put this away-he hates to have me write a word” (Gilman, 301). Jane does not spend a lot of time explaining it, but I think that Jane’s absence from writing is a vital reason for her worsening condition and would be a vital part of her healing. There is a cycle which involves writing and thinking, speaking, and reading and when one of the main three components is taken away it has a terrible effect on the wellbeing of a person, significantly Jane due to her love of writing. She suffers from an illness of which she struggles a lot with her thoughts inside her head consuming her, and being able to express what she is thinking on paper I think would increase her state of wellbeing juristically. Here lies yet another example of her husband John overpowering her and preventing her from getting better due to role of women and their duties in the household, not as writers. 

Throughout nearly all of the story and most specifically at the end, Jane spends a lot of time reminiscing on the yellow wallpaper draping on her bedroom walls. She is constrained in her bedroom for the majority, if not all of the story and essentially becomes psychologically engulfed by the constrains of her bedroom walls. Due to her mental instability, trapped in a room does not help her to be free of thought but instead she has extreme thoughts and becomes obsessed and possessed by the wallpaper. Ultimately she imagines that there is a woman that lies within the pattern of the wallpaper who is trying to escape its barriers who creeps around during the day. Instead of writing or having freedom of thought, I think that this is Jane’s mental craziness put to use as her thoughts have gone to the wall instead of on paper or to another person. The woman in the wall is her; as she is trying to escape her husband John and her traditional role as a woman as she is locked within her room and her marriage to John. In Michael Sharpe and Simon Wessely’s medical journal entry, the two writers essentially prove that the rest cure was not successful and that the evidence proves that a middle ground between rest and activity is vital to the betterment of a depressed or mentally ill patient. The journal explores the science behind the term “go home and rest” and how Silar Weir Mitchell’s short-lived rest cure popularity was shortly after proven illogical and was not used anymore. Overall, the journal backs what Gilman is trying to convey in her story scientifically. The rest cure was not a successful method of healing serious cases of depression and mental illness for women and further proved the subjection of unfair rights and say for women during that time period. 
