The Yellow Wallpaper (1892) by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Originally published in The New England Magazine, as a well respected and important early work of American feminist literature this story embodies the attitudes surrounding women’s mental and physical health during the 19th century. It is also commonly celebrated for its function as horror literature. Regarding the narration, all original language is kept to preserve historical accuracy and does not represent current societal implications or opinions.
My thoughts:
I have read this story too many times to count. A woman is depressed and anxious. Her husband whisks her away to the country side for excess air and relaxation. Sounds ideal, no? Well, what if I told you he simultaneously puts her down, treats her like a mental patient, and spends a lot of time away from their country estate…Less ideal. This story demonstrates the widely used term of hysteria or hysterical tendencies or fancies. In the 19th century, female mental and physical health was treated widely by male doctors who, appropriately for the time, dismissed ailments and merely prescribed air and tonics.