1.) What does the story,
“The Yellow Wall-Paper,” say
about feminism and mental illness (specifically, Post
Partum Depression/Psychosis)? Discuss in two
paragraphs using specific passages from the story
and the essay on pp. 1178-1180. Cite page numbers
USING APA.
2.) Briefly respond to other students posts: In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s, “The Yellow
Wallpaper”, the author tries to bring
attention to mental health awareness in
women. Throughout the late 19th
century and early 20th century women
continued to be seen as unequal to men,
and men reflected this thought through
stereotypes about women. In the story, a
woman’s husband is a physician and he
lacks empathy and respect towards his
wife. His wife, the main character, says
“John does not know how much I suffer”
(Gilman, 1892, p. 344). This quote proves
how there was a lack of respect towards
women and how they felt during the 1800’s
The main character sees a woman in the
wallpaper in the room she is in, and she
thinks the woman is trapped and she
tries to free her. She sees the woman in
the wall as someone she can help and
since she can’t help herself she wants to
try to help something else. This attempt
is viewed as insane by the husband and
his colleagues but in reality he does not
know her true reasoning and he does not
care to try to help her.
