In nineteenth century America, women had little to no say over any aspect of their life. They could not vote, get higher education, and had no identity separate from their husbands. They had virtually no say over what went on in their lives- their husbands ruled every little thing they did. Women in the nineteenth century were stay-at-home mothers who lacked freedom and had few opportunities- they were home all day cleaning, cooking, and caring for their children. During this time period, health care was also not at a high point, especially when it came to mental illness. The stigma surrounding mental illness is still high today, but back then during the nineteenth century, it was even higher. Many women suffered from postpartum depression, which is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as "a mood disorder that can affect women after childbirth". In nineteenth century America, when women had postpartum depression, the "cure" that was recognized widely was to lock them up in an asylum or in a room by themselves. Knowing the background of women and their rights in the nineteenth century, and knowing the facts regarding healthcare and mental illness back then can help us better understand stories and written texts by and about women in the nineteenth century.

In Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story "The Yellow Wallpaper", the main character is a woman who is married and going away with her husband for the summer. She describes how the house they have rented makes her feel, and she states that she feels uncomfortable in the house. Her husband, a doctor, tells her that she is suffering from a "temporary nervous depression" (Gilman 209) and that she must stay in the house and get as much rest as possible to try and recover from her illness. She is forbidden from doing any type of work, including writing, which is her true passion and favorite pastime. As the story goes on, she tries to tell her husband she wishes to leave the room and go back to working and living a normal life, but he insists she must continue on in the same manner. Being that he is her husband and also her doctor, she must obey his words every time. This leads her down a pathway of insanity and obsession with the wallpaper in the room, which she thinks has a pattern that shows women trapped behind bars. The story also gives readers details of her sickness and more about her life as it goes along, including that she has a baby. The fact that she has a baby is barely brought up and when it is mentioned it is very brief and one can get a sense of a disconnect and almost dismissal of the fact that she gave birth. The narrator says, "It is fortunate Mary is so good with the baby. Such a dear baby! And yet I cannot be with him, it makes me so nervous." (Gilman 211). She barely mentions him throughout the story, and this can give us some clues as readers about her condition. It can be concluded from the story that the woman in the story suffers from postpartum depression.

The National Institute of Mental Health defines postpartum depression as "a mood disorder that can affect women after childbirth" and says that it affects approximately 10-15% of women who give birth. The most common symptoms of postpartum depression are similar to those of clinical depression- feeling sad, overwhelmed, or 'empty', feeling moody, irritable, or restless, and losing interest in activities that are normally enjoyable to the person. Postpartum depression is not caused by one single thing, but rather is attributed to multiple causes, including a drop in hormone levels in the mother's brain after giving birth that leads to "chemical changes in her brain that may trigger mood swings" (NIMH). The sudden drop in estrogen and progesterone leads to mood swings which can affect a mother's relationship with her child. Additionally, it can be difficult for new mothers to get the right amount of sleep after giving birth, and constant sleep deprivation can lead to exhaustion and physical discomfort which can worsen other symptoms of postpartum depression. Other symptoms of postpartum depression which are present in "The Yellow Wallpaper" are: "crying more often than usual or for no apparent reason", "having trouble bonding or forming an emotional attachment with her baby", and "persistently doubting her ability to care for her baby" (NIMH). These are all clearly symptoms which affect the narrator. Crying often and for no reason is definitely something she does- she says that "I cry at nothing, and cry most of the time." (Gilman 213) Crying often and at seemingly nothing is a very obvious sign of depression, postpartum or not. Another symptom of postpartum depression that the narrator suffers from is having trouble bonding with her baby. This becomes clear to readers when she says " ... I cannot be with [the baby], it makes me so nervous." (Gilman 211). Being nervous around people is often a sign of not being able to bond with them or being worried that you will not be able to bond with them or have any sort of normal interaction with them. The narrator says she is thankful that "Mary is so good with the baby." (Gilman 211), and she is definitely thankful for Mary because she feels she cannot care for the baby herself. All of these symptoms are present in the narrator and knowing more about postpartum depression can help us better understand the context of this piece of writing.

Back in the nineteenth century, healthcare and the treatments for common ailments are not what they are today. If a woman was diagnosed with depression, back then labeled as being hysteric or nervous, she was locked up to be left alone for a lengthy period of time. This was seen as a suitable treatment for depression because it was thought that it would cure itself. In Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper", the narrator suffers from postpartum depression. She shows three symptoms- not being able to bond with her baby, doubting her ability to care for said baby, and crying randomly and often. Knowing more about the illness can better our understanding of this text.
