Theme Of Postpartum Depression In The Yellow Wallpaper

The Yellow Wallpaper

What would you do if your wife or your relative had postpartum depression after giving birth to her child? Would you try to help her by talking to her, or by taking her to a psychologist, or would you lock her in a house where she has no one to talk to and doesn’t get any professional help? Postpartum depression is a type of depression that occurs within three months following childbirth and symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, marked illogical thought, thinking of suicide, and fear of hurting the baby (Dictionary of Psychology 551). Recent research shows that postpartum depression affects 10 percent of women in the months following the birth of a child (Depression Statistics: Women Fact Information).

“The

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a well-known feminist at the times when she wrote the story. And the fact that she went through the same thing as the narrator of the story, makes Gilman’s story even more interesting to read (366). “The Yellow Wallpaper” points out men’s power over women, and the risks of women’s complete reliance and belief on a male understanding and analysis of their needs and problems, which generally have negative effects on women (366). This can be seen in the story, when John misdiagnoses his wife’s sickness, and causes her to suffer more and go insane at the end; and when at the same time, the new mom’s helplessness, and weakness towards her husband and his decisions since she does –and has to do- everything he tells her to do. She can’t fight back and tell him that she wants to see a psychologist to get a better treatment or she can’t tell him that she believes she would get better if she worked and exercised (Gilman 367). Moreover, even though she tells him that she wants to leave the room and the house, he refuses her wish, and instead, tells her that she seems like she is getting better, when actually she is

This story takes place in the upstairs room, which is covered with yellow wallpaper, of a big house which the new mom doesn’t really like (Gilman 368). I believe, it is summer of late 1800s, since she mentions that there is a nice garden “with long grape-covered arbors with seats under them” (Gilman 367). The setting is very important, especially the room with the yellow wallpaper, and as well as the fact that she didn’t like the house at the first sight. I believe, if she liked the house in the first place, I don’t think, she would make the yellow wallpaper such a big deal. But of course, still there is the fact that she is left alone which caused her obsession with the yellow wallpaper. On the other hand, I believe, if she was left alone in the nature, or in another place that she liked, where she could do whatever she wanted to do, the outcome would be much different. Maybe she wouldn’t go totally crazy. She would get