The story gives valuable and creditable evidence that the narrator was believed to have a mental illness, which was likely post part depression. In addition the treatment that her husband gave her well the excepted practice. There is overwhelming evidence to validate that the treatment for what she believed to have actually caused her mental breakdown. The narrator draws the audience in to attempt to elicit from them that she was not ill. She explains that she tries to tell her husband what she needs is to get out and do things, “Personally, I do not agree with their ideas.
Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good. But what is one to do? I did write for a while in spite of them…. I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more society and stimulus”(Steton, 648) and she really is okay “John is a physician, and perhaps (would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind-) perhaps that is one reason why I do not get better faster,”(Stetson, 647).
As the story progresses the narrator has the reader feel her helplessness, depression. It is so discouraging not to have any advice and companionship about my work…… I wish I could get well faster” (Stetson, 649). and her mental collapse. Do to her boredom she is left with nothing else but to dwell and focus on the house, “So I will let it alone and talk about the house,”(Stetson 648). The narrator even feels bad that she knows she needs to do more, but no one will hear her, “it does weigh on me so not to do my duty in any way! I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a comparative burden already” (Stetson, 649).
The nameless narrator even pleads with him to move to another area of the house away from the room with the yellow wall-paper, as if knowing that it would ultimately be her demise. She even details the beauty of the room, and why she dislikes the wallpaper. It is if the wall paper itself was causing her pain, and regardless what she was saying no one would hear her. The isolation, mixed with hourly medications, tonics, wine and ale as well as the wallpaper is wearing her down, “It is getting to be a great effort for me to think straight.
Just this nervous weakness | suppose.. there are things in that paper that nobody knows but me, or ever will,”(Stetson 652). In a final plea to her husband to remove her from the room and the house which was denied and after such she quickly gave in to the hallucinations, “T thought it was a good time to talk, so I told him that I really was not gaining here, and that I wished he would take me away… really dear you are better. Better in body perhaps”, (Stetson, 652). Throughout the story the nameless narrator keeps reverting back to the wallpaper.
First in concrete rational ways of stating that it is basically ugly, but after spending three months taking the treatment regime that her husband, the physician, prescribed she becomes obsessed and hallucinates that there is a women in the wallpaper and that she and the wallpaper move. She attempts to get the reader to see her plight and how she is going the treatment because she doesn’t want to cause trouble and even talks herself into needing treatment through rationalization of why she is doing it.
During the time frame when this story was written, medicine was in its infancy, and they actually prescribed treatment that did do harm. Also, during that time frame women were thought of as material or possessions, not as rational equals (although looking back the medical field was not very rational either). The narrator even states that he doesn’t listen to her and she feels hopeless. ” It is so hard to talk to John about my care because he is so wise “(647).
She is not saying she finds him wise but the personification of the illusion. Postpartum depression is a type of clinical depression which can affect women after childbirth. Symptoms may include sadness, low energy, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, and reduced desire for sex, crying episodes, anxiety, and irritability. All of which the narrator had described. Solitary confinement often pushed the woman who was merely aggravated to a state that truly could be considered mentally ill, (History of Women’s Mental illness, 2015).
Numerous times throughout the story the narrator tells of being giving numerous tonics, herbs, ales and wines. Tonics during that time were made of a lot of alcohol and with seriously addictive and health hazard additives like morphine, cocaine, opium, quinine, lithium, and salts to name a few (The Science Mudeum, n. d. ). Research indicates that many medicinal beverages and tonics began to contain cocaine – long-term users of which may suffer seriously disrupted eating and sleeping patterns, psychotic delusions and hallucinations.
Chloroform, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine were offered as solutions for everything from sore throats and toothache to coughs, insomnia and depression. Another additive and also a fungus that was placed into food during this time period was ergot. It caused some people to become manic, appear dazed, be unable to speak or have other forms of paralysis or tremors, and suffer from hallucinations and other distorted perceptions. The thinking is the mass hysteria of Salem Witch trials may be associated with this fungus.
Passionflower, an herb used to treat nerves, also have a hallucination side effect. Finally the possibility that the yellow wall paper had a fungus that grew in it and could have possible added to her mental decline, “There are always new shoots on the fungus, and new shades of yellow all over the it… But there is something else about that paper – the smell! I noticed it the moment we came into the room, but with so much air and sun it was not bad. Now we have had a week of fog and rain, and whether the windows are open or not, the smell is here.
But now I am used to it. The only thing I can think of that it is like is the color of the paper! A yellow smell… There is a very funny mark on this wall, low down, near the mopboard. A streak that runs round the room. It goes behind every piece of furniture, except the bed, a long, straight, even smooch, as if it had been rubbed over and over. ” (Stetson, 654) Mental illness, post partum depression, medicine, treatments and medicine in general was not readily understood in the 1800’s when this story was written.
By looking at the ethos, logos and pathos or the story, The Yellow Wallpaper, one can conclude that the no name narrator was no cally ill and the treatment for it at that time was actually the causative factor that concluded with her mental spiral downwards. Unfortunately she was a women in the 1800’s that was thought of as insignificant and her duty was to be quiet and serve her man. Because she was both name less and voice less her needs were never heard thus perpetuating the decline.
Hadithi hiyo inatoa ushahidi wa thamani na wa kuaminika kwamba msimuliaji aliaminiwa kuwa na ugonjwa wa akili, ambao pengine ulikuwa unyogovu wa baada ya sehemu. Kwa kuongezea matibabu ambayo mumewe alimpa vizuri mazoezi ya isipokuwa. Kuna ushahidi mkubwa wa kuthibitisha kwamba matibabu kwa kile alichokiamini kwa kweli yalisababisha mshtuko wake wa akili. "Mwandishi wa hadithi anawavutia watazamaji kujaribu kuwaambia kwamba hakuwa mgonjwa, anaelezea kwamba anajaribu kumwambia mumewe kile anachohitaji ni kutoka nje na kufanya mambo, ""Binafsi, sikubaliani na mawazo yao.""" Binafsi, naamini kwamba kazi yenye kufurahisha, yenye msisimko na badiliko, ingenifanyia mema. Lakini mtu anapaswa kufanya nini? Niliandika kwa muda licha ya hayo.... Wakati mwingine mimi fancy kwamba katika hali yangu kama mimi alikuwa chini ya upinzani na zaidi ya jamii na kichocheo <unk> (Steton, 648) na yeye kweli ni sawa <unk>John ni daktari, na labda (haingekuwa kusema ni kwa roho hai, bila shaka, lakini hii ni karatasi wafu na misaada kubwa kwa akili yangu) labda hiyo ni moja ya sababu kwa nini mimi si kupata bora kwa haraka, <unk> (Stetson, 647). Kadiri hadithi inavyoendelea msimuliaji humfanya msomaji ahisi ukosefu wake wa msaada, mshuko wa moyo. Ni hivyo discouraging si kuwa na ushauri wowote na ushirika kuhusu kazi yangu...... Natamani ningeweza kupata vizuri haraka <unk> (Stetson, 649). na kuanguka kwake kiakili. "Kama vile alivyofanya wakati wa kuachana na familia yake, ""mimi nitaacha peke yangu na kuzungumza juu ya nyumba"" (Stetson 64:8)." Msimuliaji hata anajisikia vibaya kwamba anajua anahitaji kufanya zaidi, lakini hakuna mtu atakayemsikia, <unk>inanipa uzito ili sifanye wajibu wangu kwa njia yoyote! Nilikuwa na maana ya kuwa kama msaada kwa John, kama mapumziko halisi na faraja, na hapa mimi ni mzigo kulinganisha tayari <unk> (Stetson, 649). Mwandishi asiyejulikana hata anamsihi kuhamia eneo jingine la nyumba mbali na chumba na rangi ya manjano wallpaper, kama akijua kwamba hatimaye itakuwa kifo chake. Yeye hata anafafanua uzuri wa chumba hicho, na kwa nini hapendi karatasi ya ukuta. Kama ni kwamba karatasi ya ukuta yenyewe ilikuwa ikisababisha maumivu yake, na bila kujali kile alichokuwa akisema hakuna mtu ambaye angemsikia. Upweke, mchanganyiko wa dawa za kila saa, tonics, divai na ale pamoja na karatasi ya ukuta ni kuvaa yake chini, <unk>Ni kupata kuwa juhudi kubwa kwa ajili yangu kufikiri moja kwa moja. Tu udhaifu huu wa neva. Nadhani.. kuna mambo katika karatasi hiyo ambayo hakuna mtu anajua lakini mimi, au milele itakuwa, <unk> (Stetson 652). Katika ombi la mwisho kwa mumewe kumtoa kutoka chumba na nyumba ambayo ilikataliwa na baada ya hapo yeye haraka alitoa kwa hallucinations, <unk>T walidhani ilikuwa ni wakati mzuri wa kuzungumza, hivyo mimi alimwambia kwamba mimi kweli hakuwa na kupata hapa, na kwamba nilitamani yeye ingekuwa kuchukua mimi mbali... kweli dear wewe ni bora. Bora katika mwili labda <unk>, (Stetson, 652). Katika hadithi yote msimuliaji asiyejulikana anaendelea kurudi kwenye karatasi ya ukuta. Kwanza kwa njia ya dhati ya kusema kwamba ni mbaya, lakini baada ya kutumia miezi mitatu kuchukua matibabu ambayo mume wake, daktari, aliagiza, yeye anakuwa obsessed na hallucinates kwamba kuna mwanamke katika wallpaper na kwamba yeye na wallpaper hoja. Yeye anajaribu kupata msomaji kuona shida yake na jinsi anaenda matibabu kwa sababu hataki kusababisha shida na hata anajiambia kuwa anahitaji matibabu kupitia sababu ya kwa nini anafanya hivyo. Wakati huu, wakati hadithi hii iliandikwa, dawa ilikuwa katika utotoni, na kwa kweli waliagiza matibabu ambayo yalifanya madhara. Pia, wakati huo wanawake walionwa kama vitu au mali, sio kama sawa na akili (ingawa kuangalia nyuma uwanja wa matibabu haukuwa na akili sana pia). Msimuliaji hata anasema kwamba yeye haimsikilizi na yeye anahisi kukosa matumaini. """Ni vigumu sana kuzungumza na John kuhusu huduma yangu kwa sababu yeye ni mwenye hekima sana.""" Yeye hasemi kwamba anamwona kuwa mwenye hekima bali ni mfano wa udanganyifu. Mshuko wa moyo baada ya kujifungua ni aina ya mshuko wa moyo wa kliniki ambao unaweza kuwaathiri wanawake baada ya kujifungua. Dalili za ugonjwa huo ni huzuni, kukosa nguvu, mabadiliko katika tabia ya kulala na kula, na kupungua kwa hamu ya kufanya ngono, kulia, wasiwasi, na kukasirika. Yote hayo yalikuwa yameelezwa na msimuliaji. "Kufungwa kwa upweke mara nyingi kulimfanya mwanamke ambaye alikuwa tu akizidi kuwa na hali ambayo kwa kweli inaweza kuchukuliwa kuwa mgonjwa wa akili, ""History of Women's Mental Illness, 2015." Mara nyingi katika hadithi hiyo msimuliaji anasimulia kwamba alitoa dawa nyingi za kulevya, mimea, bia na divai. Tonic ilitengenezwa kwa kutumia pombe nyingi na kuongeza dawa zenye sumu na hatari kwa afya kama vile morphine, cocaine, opium, quinine, lithium, na chumvi. Utafiti unaonyesha kwamba vinywaji vingi vya dawa na tonics zilianza kuwa na cocaine - watumiaji wa muda mrefu ambao wanaweza kuumia kwa uzito kuharibiwa kula na kulala mifumo, delusions psychotic na hallucinations. Chloroform, cocaine, heroin na methamphetamine zilitolewa kama suluhisho kwa kila kitu kutoka maumivu ya koo na maumivu ya meno hadi kikohozi, kukosa usingizi na mshuko wa moyo. Kiambatisho kingine na pia kuvu ambacho kiliwekwa katika chakula wakati huo kilikuwa ergot. Watu wengi walipatwa na ugonjwa wa manic, walionekana kuwa wamechanganyikiwa, hawakuweza kuzungumza, au walikuwa na aina nyingine za kupooza au kutetemeka, na walipatwa na hallucinations na hisia nyingine zilizopotoka. Wanasema kwamba msukosuko uliotokea wakati wa majaribio ya uchawi huko Salem ulisababishwa na kuambukizwa kwa kuvu. Mti wa passionflower, ambao hutumiwa kutibu mishipa, pia una athari ya kuharibika kwa akili. Hatimaye uwezekano kwamba karatasi ya ukuta ya manjano ilikuwa na kuvu ambayo ilikua ndani yake na inaweza kuwa inawezekana kuongezwa kwa kupungua kwake kwa akili, <unk>Kuna daima matawi mapya kwenye kuvu, na vivuli vipya vya manjano kila mahali... Lakini kuna kitu kingine kuhusu karatasi hiyo <unk> harufu! Niliona hilo tulipokuwa tunangoja kuingia chumbani, lakini kwa sababu kulikuwa na hewa na jua nyingi, hali ilikuwa nzuri. """Siku ya mvua na ukungu, na hata kama madirisha yamefunguliwa au la, harufu ni hapa." Lakini sasa nimezoea hali hiyo. Jambo pekee ninaweza kufikiria kwamba ni kama ni rangi ya karatasi! Harufu ya manjano... kuna alama ya kuchekesha sana kwenye ukuta huu, chini chini, karibu na ubao wa kufagia. Mstari unaozunguka chumba hicho. Ni nyuma ya kila kipande cha samani, isipokuwa kitanda, kwa muda mrefu, moja kwa moja, hata smooch, kama kama alikuwa rubbed juu na juu. "Mwanzoni mwa karne ya 19 ""Ugonjwa wa akili, unyogovu baada ya kuzaa, dawa, matibabu na dawa kwa ujumla haikueleweka kwa urahisi katika miaka ya 1800 wakati hadithi hii iliandikwa.""" Kwa kuangalia ethos, logos na pathos au hadithi, The Yellow Wallpaper, mtu anaweza kuhitimisha kwamba msimuliaji wa jina la jina hakuwa na ugonjwa wa cally na matibabu kwa wakati huo kwa kweli yalikuwa sababu ya sababu ambayo ilimaliza na mzunguko wake wa akili chini. Kwa bahati mbaya, katika karne ya 19 mwanamke huyo alikuwa mtu asiye na maana na wajibu wake ulikuwa kuwa kimya na kumtumikia mwanamume wake. Kwa sababu alikuwa na jina dogo na sauti dogo mahitaji yake hayakusikilizwa kamwe hivyo kuendeleza kupungua.