Negative Effects Of The Rest Cure In The Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman

In “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a woman in her mid to late twenties suffers from Postpartum Depression following the birth of her baby. Her husband, a doctor, then self-diagnoses her with hysteria and prescribes “the rest cure”. In the story, Charlotte Perkins Gilman wanted to show the negative effects the rest cure had. Silas Weir Mitchell was a physician who developed the rest cure in the late 1800s. It was a treatment for hysteria and other nervous illnesses. The rest cure involved isolation from friends and family and enforced bed rest and a fatty diet. After the birth of her child, Gilman experienced severe depression and sought treatment for nervous exhaustion by Silas Weir Mitchell. Her husband, who was also