Postpartum Depression And The Yellow Wallpaper - 1536 Words

Postpartum Depression and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† The descent into madness by the main character in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† shows the impact of postpartum depression coupled with the oppression of women during the time period in which it was written. The author, Charlotte Gilman, suffered from postpartum depression herself and is considered the model for the main character and what she goes through, as chronicled in an article she later wrote in 1913 entitled â€Å"Why I Wrote The Yellow Wallpaper.† The woman in the story is taken for a â€Å"nervous condition† to have a rest cure prescribed by her husband, Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell, where the woman is essentially locked up against her will in a bedroom with limited human contact or means to occupy her time. The pattern of the yellow wallpaper in the room serves as prison bars as she continues to go mad. The main character is treated as a piece of property, prescribed a treatment for what is clearly postpartum depression that only furthers her condition rat her than cures it, causing her to become beyond help, which directly portrays the subservient role of women in society at that time. The main character’s â€Å"nervous condition† is most certainly postpartum depression. This illness, along with many other mental illnesses, was little understood or recognized at this time. At the beginning, the reader is told that the woman has a temporary nervous depression-a slight hysterical tendency, as diagnosed by her physician husband â€Å"of highShow MoreRelatedPostpartum Depression in The Yellow Wallpaper1468 Words   |  6 PagesJanes Postpartum Depression in The Yellow Wallpaper In the The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman describes her postpartum depression through the character of Jane. Jane was locked up for bed rest and was not able to go outside to help alleviate her nervous condition. Jane develops an attachment to the wallpaper and discovers a woman in the wallpaper. This shows that her physical treatment is only leading her to madness. The background of postpartum depression can be summarized byRead MoreYellow Wallpaper and Postpartum Depression711 Words   |  3 PagesPostpartum Depression In the short story. The Yellow Wallpaper written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, we are introduced to a woman, the narrator, who suffers from postpartum depression, a disorder in women that results from childbirth. This disorder can have serious effects on the individual and may result in extreme behaviors such as suicide. (Mahoney 1) The narrator of the story is symbolic of Gilman, as she had experienced this illness after the birth of her daughter. (Gilman 181) PostpartumRead MoreThe Impact Of Postpartum Depression In The Yellow Wallpaper1215 Words   |  5 Pagesthe current time period. For instance, in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Gilman the story deals with the issue of postpartum depression in new mothers. While postpartum depression is still a very real and current topic in today’s society. Current society handles the issue differently than when the â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† was written. The difference in modern day and past society is contribu ted to the increasing knowledge of postpartum depression that has led to a new view for society, improvedRead MoreJanes Postpartum Depression in the Yellow Wallpaper2028 Words   |  9 PagesJanes Postpartum Depression in The Yellow Wallpaper In the The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman describes her postpartum depression through the character of Jane. Jane was locked up for bed rest and was not able to go outside to help alleviate her nervous condition. Jane develops an attachment to the wallpaper and discovers a woman in the wallpaper. This shows that her physical treatment is only leading her to madness. The background of postpartum depression can be summarized by theRead MoreThe Effects Of Postpartum Depression In The Yellow Wallpaper1273 Words   |  6 PagesCharlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, is a short story, published in the late 1800s, about one woman’s descent to madness. Finding herself plagued with postpartum depression after the birth of her son, the narrator’s ailment is overlooked by everyone around her. Her husband, â€Å"...a physician of high standing..† (Gilman) describes the narrator’s illness as â€Å"temporary nervous depressio n...a slight hysterical tendency.† Her brother and male doctor, also agree with this diagnosis and becauseRead MoreThe Portrayal Of Postpartum Depression1581 Words   |  7 PagesPortrayal of Postpartum-Depression in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† â€Å"The Yellow wallpaper† is a story about a woman going through a mental breakdown. She has recently had a baby and is suffering from postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. Charlotte portrays postpartum depression very accurately in the story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†. She writes about how others do not understand her needs and how they will not listen to what she wants to say. Postpartum depression is a serious form of depression that affectsRead MoreYellow: The Color of Postpartum Depression854 Words   |  3 Pagessaid to be nothing more than nervousness. In The Yellow Wallpaper a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, the narrator is a young woman who has recently given birth, during the late 19th century. After giving birth she has fallen victim of postpartum depression. When a woman becomes pregnant her body immediately starts to produce hormones in excess. These same hormones that help a woman through pregnancy can cause psychological detriment postpartum. Her husband, who is a doctor, tells her, it isRead MorePostpartum Psychosis in the Yellow Wallpaper1290 Words   |  6 PagesPost-Partum Psychosis and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, tells the story of a woman’s descent into madness as a result of postpartum psychosis. Postpartum psychosis is a condition that affects between one and two of every thousand live births. The condition of postpartum psychosis usually begins within two weeks of giving birth and sometimes within a matter of days. (â€Å"Depression†, 2009) Symptoms of postpartum psychosis are â€Å"delusions or strangeRead MoreThe Progressive Stages Of Postpartum Depression1392 Words   |  6 Pagesbe†(Yellow Wallpaper.) Defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Depression: a state of feeling sad. Simple, right? Dead wrong. Clinical depression is one of the leading psychological disorders in the US, affecting over 17.5 million Americans.(Washington) Amongst the many forms of depression, there is postpartum depression, a more uncommon one. Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Gilman, is a paper in which Charlotte Gilman tells a fictionalized version of her experience with postpartum depression. TheRead MoreAcknowledging Postpartum Depression. Years Ago, There Was1392 Words   |  6 PagesAcknowledging Postpartum Depression Years ago, there was a limited understanding about postpartum depression and efficient treatments. Today, postpartum depression is better understood because of the willingness of others to recognize it as a legitimate condition. Based on Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† the treatments of her day were not adequate to improve the mental health of someone dealing with this diagnosis. In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† the main character is