Mental Illness In Jane's The Yellow Wallpaper

The Yellow Wallpaper has been analyzed by many critics. Some believe that Jane, the narrator, was trying to bring about light to the suppression of female expression and roles in a patriarchal society. Some say the story is about gender roles from the late 1800’s when men were considered the stronger domineering sex and women tended to children and the wifely duties of the household and nothing more. Looking at this from a psychological perspective, mental illness was not as well understood back in the late 1800’s when this story was written. What we call mental illnesses today might have just been a nervous condition or Hysteria. Due to the lack of knowledge on various mental illnesses and treatment methods in that era the “rest cure” method

She “declares there is something queer about it” (434). Jane tells us the estate sits back from the road and “there are hedges and walls and gates that lock” (435). Upon entering the room where she will be staying, she describes it as “a big airy room” with bars on all the windows and “rings and things in the walls” (435). Interestingly, during the time the story was published in 1892, according to Holtzman, people with mental illness were taken to private asylums opened by physicians as a “home away from home” (Holtzman 2012). Furthermore, during this time is when private asylums were “most popular” at least to people of higher social standing (Holtzman 2012). Moreover, Jane no longer has care over herself and the daily life she is living. Her husband John has essentially taken control of her life and even prescribes her something for each hour of the day (435). Much like a mental hospital would. Albeit, Jane tells us that John doesn’t believe she is ill (434). Jane describes John as being a “practical” man and has no time to hear of her feelings and thoughts about her illness because he only believes what he can see and “put down in figures” so he puts her on complete rest (434). She is not able to write or visit with her baby, he will not allow her family to come for a visit because he feels it would be too stimulating for her and she needs to rest her mind. He reminds her that she need not give in to her “silly fancies” and focus on getting better ( ). The room Jane spends most of her time in solitary has yellow wallpaper which upon arrival she noticed and spoke of how awful it was. She wanted John to have it re-done but he decided that would not be a good idea for then she would just find something else she didn’t like (436-437). She becomes fixated on the wallpaper and describes the color and pattern in it.