Society is always changing; Ideas, technology, and other cultural beliefs are constantly evolving. What may have been culturally accepted at one point in a place of the world may no longer be acceptable. Different theories and procedures influenced how people behaved and thought. Different centuries give rise to new trends and styles. Medicine, for example, is constantly having new breakthroughs that were never thought possible. Illnesses and symptoms used to be treated with natural remedies, or even rituals. These forms of treatments may seem inhumane and unethical nowadays, however at the time they seemed like the best options due to lack of knowledge. The narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is mistreated the way she is and given the rest cure because of the different culture during that time period.

“The Yellow Wallpaper” was published in the year 1892, and takes place around that time. In the short story, the narrator is prescribed the rest cure by her husband John. The rest cure was a treatment that was given to women who experienced symptoms of hysteria. The treatment consisted of a bed-rest, milk diet, electrical treatments, and massage, and could last anywhere from six weeks to three months (Linker). In “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the narrator is perceived to be experiencing hysteria and her husband, who is also a physician prescribes her with the rest cure, where she is to remain isolated in a room, with little to no communication with friends or family, for a few weeks. Not only does her husband prescribe her with the rest cure, but her brother, who is also a physician, believes that the treatment is the best option for her with her symptoms. 

The rest cure was developed by Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell. Weir Mitchell was a well respected physician in his time and was interested with the new developing findings with physiology and advances in technology. Although he is best known for creating the rest cure, he also had many other medical findings, some of which are still respected highly in the medical field.  He had originally developed the rest cure for Civil War vets who suffered from “nervous exhaustion”, however he also started to use it to treat women with hysteria (Poirier). Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell was mentioned in “The Yellow Wallpaper”, when the narrator’s husband says that she will be sent to Weir Mitchell if her symptoms do not get better. This shows how John respected Weir Mitchell’s work from one physician to another. The author, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, was also one of the women that was treated by Weir Mitchell (Linker). This can show how she was influenced to write “The Yellow Wallpaper”, and how she feels about the treatment of women during her time period. It also shows why she was so against the rest cure and why the narrator did not get any better by the end of the short story, and instead got worse.

 Hysteria was a broad diagnosis for women that covered many different symptoms. The main ones that called for the rest cure included depression and anxiety. These symptoms are common after a woman goes through childbirth. Postpartum depression is caused by an unbalance of chemicals and hormones in a woman’s body after she gives birth. Postpartum depression was discovered nor recognized back in the late 1800’s, since they did not have the same technology as they do today. With no knowledge of the fact that these symptoms were due to an unbalance of hormones, physicians would prescribe the rest cure, and thought that no medicine was needed. The narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” had just recently given birth herself, which is why she would be experiencing postpartum depression, however since they  hadn’t yet made the same medical advancements, she was prescribed the rest cure, and it was considered an acceptable treatment. 

The narrator having a whole house to herself was not as uncommon as it would be today. The rest cure could be performed in a private setting, although it was preferred to be administered at a clinical setting under the constant watch of physicians, which was why the next step was the narrator being sent to Weir Mitchell if she didn’t get better. The narrator’s husband rented the house for only a few months, which was the normal length of the rest cure. Since one of the requirements of the rest cure was isolation, she remained in the house and could not leave. Although she may have wanted to leave, she didn’t because she respected her husband and she would be looked at poorly for not complying with the treatment. The reason she was not allowed to see her friends or family besides her husband, was because John believed that it would tire her out even more, and make her symptoms even worse. 

Many women were prescribed the rest cure when it was still regarded as being medically accurate. Even though the rest cure was considered a legitimate treatment to cure hysteria, many women would still revolt and protest the treatment (Poirier). Charlotte Perkins Gilman was one of those women that were not for the rest cure, which is evident in “The Yellow Wallpaper”, and its perspective on the rest cure and its results. Since she was personally prescribed the rest cure, she had first-hand experience of the impact of the treatment, and how it didn’t actually help. The rest cure persisted into the 20th century, however it didn’t last much longer with the discovery of new medicine, and with all the controversy that came from the unfair treatment of women(Linker). 

Women were also treated much different when the short story was written, in the late 1800s to early 1900s. In that time period, women were viewed as being weak and not as “strong” when compared to men. It was perceived that a woman was to stay at home, and not get a job. The major role for women in this time period was to fulfil their biological maternal duties. If they had kids, they would take care of them, as well as taking care of the house. Also, women were to respect their husbands, and not disobey his word, as well as respect other men in society. In “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the narrator obeys her husband, and doesn’t go against his word of administering the rest cure. Also, the narrator doesn’t have a job that she is missing while she is on the rest cure. The only real priority that she is missing is looking after her newborn and taking care of the house. Since she is not able to do these things while she is on the rest cure, her husband has another woman fill in for her maternal duties. Women had also not won the right to vote yet, however there was a women’s suffrage movement. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was against the mistreatment of women in her time period, as well as other women, and wanted to do something about it. While some women took to protesting with actual signs and picketing, Gilman used her writing to protest, which was not as common in her time period as it is current day. Her views on the roles and treatment of women influence the short story, and are the reason that the narrator revolts against her husband and the rest cure. Gilman’s perspective on the deteriorating treatment of women is also the reason that the personality and sanity of the narrator changes in such a negative way through the progression of the short story

The narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is treated the way she is because of the time period. With the lack of knowledge and technology, many symptoms were mistreated, and people were treated differently. The systematic structure of society was much different, and things were run differently. Over time, certain principles are changed, and can be seen as no longer being acceptable. 
