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The Yellow Wallpaper

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The Yellow Wallpaper
Charlotte Perkin’s Universal Truth
Charlotte Perkin Gilman is internationally known for her short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper”. Gilman was born on July 3, 1860. After marriage, she endured depressions several times shortly after her first daughter was born. Gilman suffered from mental breakdowns which soon lead to melancholia. Her personal experiences, dealing with post-partum depression, are what inspired Gilman to write the story, “The Yellow Wallpaper”. This story revolves around the main character, Jane, and how she copes with her illness. Jane suffers from post-partum depression, and to “cure” this illness, she is kept isolated from the world. In this short story there are many influences that impact the conflict of the story. Social influences are present in the story as Jane is kept isolated from the world. Also, cultural events in the story, related to the Victorian era, when women were treated unequally, built up the storyline. Finally, several personal events in Gilman’s past are shown throughout the story and add to the story’s conflict. Therefore, Charlotte Perkin Gilman incorporates several aspects of her own life into her short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper” that becomes evident through the explanation of the Gilman’s universal truth that treating women inhumanely will only result in negative outcomes; it is the reverse cure for an illness.
To begin with, social influences in the story, such as the isolation of Jane to cure her post-partum depression is clear in the story because Jane was separated from the world and is forbidden to live her life. In the story, Jane is not allowed out of her room, but in fact, she is kept isolated. The isolation of Jane is evident in the text when Jane states….Gilman is also isolated from society because she is forbidden to do daily activities that she admires. The wise man that treats Gilman applies the rest cure on her and sends her home forbidding her from work, which in Gilman’s belief, brings joy to one’s



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