The Color of Insanity.

Melissa McMahon

Journal on Gilman

English 48 B

January 7 2009

"I beg of you, for my sake and our child's sake, as well as for your own, that you will never for one instant let that idea enter your mind! There is nothing so dangerous, so fascinating, to a temperament like yours. It is a false and foolish fancy. Can you trust me as a physician when I tell you so?"-814

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In "The Yellow Wallpaper," by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the narrator, a new mother and wife to John, seems to be in the clutches of some form of insanity- most likely a case of un-diagnosed post partum depression. In the quote above, John- a physician, pleads with his wife to not admit to herself that she is mentally unwell. It seems as though John is more afraid of the ever growing reality that his wife is unwell and the speaking of it aloud makes it more real in a way. The tension between the narrator and her husband grows through out the story, and concludes with her complete unraveling as she succumbs to her inner demons.

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This story blazed trails for women by calling attention to the existence of depression after child bearing and the very real dangers to the human spirit that can be brought on by the popular "rest cure" that was used as treatment. Gilman herself suffered under that treatment, in which she was instructed to endure an "extended bed rest to be followed by a return to working as a wife and mother. She was to give up all dreams of a career, she was never to write or paint again, and she was never to read for more than two hours a day" (biography.com) No wonder Gilman later wrote of her mental instability that was the product of this ridiculous "cure." It only worsened her already present depression- and almost took her life. Gilman was not afraid to speak out against this practice, and ultimately encouraged the doctor who founded the cure to change his method of treatment.

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While it seems obvious that the narrator suffers from a mental instability, my attention couldn't help but be drawn to her husband, John. His offerings of 'rest', 'relaxation' and his over bearing handling of her life raised a constant red flag with me. In the quote I started with, we see John pleading with his wife to not speak of her illness aloud. His frantic request seems so misplaced from his 'good husband' role. If indeed he cared so much for his wife, wouldn't he want her to really get the help she needs? By addressing her problem and coming to terms with it, (which she struggles to make him understand throughout the story,) she would be well on her way to recovery. Instead, John's own selfish desires and fear take center stage and prompt him to essentially put his wife 'away.' While I believe John was simply acting out of fear, I wonder if he was the reason for her quick tumble into insanity and the person in this story to blame.

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Gilman's timeless stories continue to be analyzed and picked apart world wide. The first time I read "Wallpaper," I spent the night staring at my own wallpaper, too afraid to move. It was so...modern. The themes and over all "creepiness" of her descriptions are just as vivid in 2009 as they were in 1892. The fact that Gilman's work continues to provide fresh ideas and arguments is a testament to her strength as a writer. A writer, a woman, who cannot be stopped by anything.