Charlotte Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" was written in a time when women were still oppressed  --  women were considered their husbands "property" and had very little say with decisions, even when it came to themselves  -- which sets the tone for this gothic allegory. The narrator suffers from a mental decline throughout the story, although it worsens due to her doctor husband's lack of sufficient treatment (Gilman). The narrator is ordered to do the rest cure, taking away all the simple things that keep her sane, which ultimately drives her mad. The rest cure was a cruel idea for the narrator, because she was most likely just suffering from postpartum depression, which calls for increased attention, John does the opposite  -- driving her to insanity.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" begins the progression with a personal story of bad medicine based on historical facts and then contextualizes the historical facts within the larger framework of the dominant male figure, John.  It could easily be concluded that the narrator is suffering from postpartum disorder after just having their child, and/or anxiety issues. The narrator's doctor husband John suggested the narrator take the rest cure to fix her "issues"  --  which meant she was not allowed to do anything or interact with anyone, she was just to rest. Taking away all of the things that kept her sane, like writing, plus keeping her isolated was the worst thing for someone dealing with anxiety and postpartum  --  a patient dealing with these disorders can have symptoms of fatigue, feelings of hopelessness or depression, disrupted sleep or appetite, lack of interest in the baby, fear of harming the baby and mood swings and requires increased attention (Meier). The rest cure was the worst idea for the narrator because it only increased her emotions. 

 Although she continues to write in secret anyway, the attempt to take away the narrators privilege to write is a cruel one  --  as it is her escape from her own mind  --  this is a clear example of John's attempt to exert his tyrannical control in the guise of protectiveness making the narrator feel all the more stifled and precludes outright defiance (Johnson). As she remarks sarcastically in the opening section, "He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction" (12). Some readers may suggest that to think John purposely took away all of her things that made her happy was on purpose might sound feminist or dramatic, but looking at the time period of this story, we can conclude this was a total act of control within the union (Crumrin). The narrator had little say so in what would be best remedy for her condition, nor was she asked  --  we can also see this displayed in the beginning of the story when the narrator and John both agree they don't like the room with the yellow wallpaper then later on when John discovers his wife does not like it, he is no longer bothered by it as an attempt to avoid entertaining her fantasies. During this time period women were subject for whatever treatment their husband saw fit, whether they were insane or "inconvenient". 

As the story progresses the narrator seems to becoming increasingly ill as John neglects the more serious issues by refusing to accept that there is anything seriously wrong with her and dismisses it anytime she tries to warn him about her mental illness, evidently causing a breakdown. John's refusal to acknowledge her illness is a part of his need for control (Gilman). Although he is being kind and sweet when talking to her, he still is treating her like a child and fails to acknowledge the situation that is obviously highly affecting his wife; but John's ignorance of the situation unthinkingly allows her the free play of imagination and abdication of social responsibility also characteristic of children. (Gilman) Thus as the story progresses, the narrator follows both her childlike promptings and her artistic faith in creating a Gothic alternative to the stifling daylight world of her husband and the society at large (Johnson). The narrator begins to experience psychological outbreaks and visions of a woman in the wallpaper due to her feelings of confinement as well as neglect. 

"The Yellow Wallpaper" is a unique one because it makes you question whether the narrator really is crazy or whether she becomes crazy, the lack of Johns sufficient care upon his wife could be because he doesn't want to tell her and make it worse  -- clearly he knows something is wrong, why else would you put your wife in a barred room? But his lack of acknowledging the fact that there is something happening to his wife makes her condition worse, which also supports the idea for his need of control. The journal being written in and the fantasies are the narrators only defense against her doctor husband's control over her  --  she is not only trapped in a room, not only in a prescriptive cure, but a clearly in a more complex world of male discourse and diagnosis (Kautz). 

