Madness in The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Madness is the state of being mentally ill. It is the spectrum of behavior characterized by abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Madness manifests as the violation of societal norms, including becoming a personal danger to one’s self. As a woman in the male-dominated society of the 19th century, the narrator has no control over her own life. This lack of control contributes to her descent into madness. The rest cure prescribed by her physician husband provided the environment for her madness to flourish because it was only in her imagination where she retained some control and could exercise the power of her mind. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman centers on the deteriorating mental condition of the female narrator. Gilman’s demonstrates of the progression of her madness throughout the story is reflected in the narrator’s change in attitude toward her husband, her growing obsession with the wallpaper, and her projection of herself as the woman b ehind the wallpaper. The narrator’s relationship with her husband is trusting in the beginning. While she disagrees with her husband that extensive rest would be best for her and believes that pleasant, exciting work and mental stimulation would be better, she believes that he truly knows best and feels guilty for having a dissenting opinion. She states that she has â€Å"schedule prescription for each hour in the day; he takes all care from me, and so I feel basely ungrateful not to value it more† (Gilman 2). HerShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Yellow Wallpaper1727 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of the Short Story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Originally published in January 1892 issue of New England Magazine. Charlotte Perkins Gilman s short story The Yellow Wallpaper was personal to her own struggles with anxiety and depression after the birth of her daughter with her first husband and S. Weir Mitchell s resting cure treatment she received. 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