A Diagnosis Of The Narrator In

After reading Charlotte Perkins Gillman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" I have come to think that the narrator does not suffer from hysteria. I have reached this idea from comparing the research I have done on hysteria to her symptoms in the story. In this paper I will discuss why I feel the narrator does not suffer from hysteria but may be suffering from postpartum depression.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" was written in the late nineteenth century. In that period of time hysteria was thought to occur through irregular blood flow from the uterus to the brain. Over the years the definition of hysteria has changed. Today hysteria can be defined as, "...a state of mind, one of unmanageable fear or emotional excesses"("Hysteria biography"). From the research I have done it seems that the fear the person has is usually centered on a certain body part even though there is nothing wrong with it, "...a patient experiences physical symptoms that have a psychological, rather than an organic, cause"("Hysteria"). The story does give some evidence of her showing hysterical behavior. For example, in the beginning of the story she tells us she is sick but her husband, John, who is a physician, does not believe there is anything wrong with her, "You see he does not believe I am sick!"(Gilman 103). Although the narrator does show these symptoms of hysteria her overall symptoms lead me to think that she may have postpartum depression.

Before going into why I think the narrator has postpartum depression, I would like to discuss what it is. Postpartum depression is, " ... a complex mix of physical, emotional and behavioral changes that occur in a mother after giving birth"("WebMD"). The causes of this illness can be hereditary and can be changes in most women's hormones. Most mothers who experience postpartum depression love their children but feel that they won't be good at mothering. (HealthyMinds.org). An example of this in the story is when the narrator is discussing what little she can do and says, "It is fortunate Mary is so good with the baby. Such a dear baby! And yet I cannot be with him, it makes me so nervous." (Gillman 105) We see from this quote that the narrator doubts her ability to take care of her baby.

Most symptoms that come with postpartum depression can be seen in the narrator throughout this story. The first few symptoms of this illness are sluggishness, fatigue and exhaustion ("HealthyMinds"). In the story there are a few examples of the narrator showing these symptoms. When she is expressing how she would like to write more she says, "But I find I get pretty tired when I try" (Gillman 105). She is getting weak from the simplest tasks. A few more symptoms are feelings of despair and depression ("HealthyMinds"). An example of this is when she is talking about how her husband, John, is always away for other cases and how she is glad that her case is not serious and says, " But these nervous troubles are dreadfully depressing. John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him" (Gillman 104).

Some more symptoms that distinguish postpartum depression in the story are an irregular appetite and sleeping pattern ("HealthyMinds"). When she is talking to John about how the house was not making her any better even though he feels that she is getting better she says, " ... my appetite may be better in the evening when you are here, but it is worse in the morning when you are away!" (Gillman 109). The narrator's appetite is not the same as it was when she was well, although in the evenings it is fine, it is not in the morning. She is experiencing irregular sleeping patterns when she begins to get very interested into the wallpaper and says, " I'm feeling ever so much better! I don't sleep much at night, for it is so interesting to watch the developments; but I sleep a good deal in the daytime" (Gillman 111).

Crying is another symptom related to this illness of postpartum depression ("HealthyMinds"). At one point in the story she states, " ...I cry at nothing, and cry most of the time. Of course I don't when John is here, or anybody else, but when I am alone" (Gillman 107). One final symptom of postpartum depression is getting mood swings ("HealthyMinds"). For example when she is trying to tell John that there is something creepy about the house and he does not really pay attention to what she is telling him, "I get unreasonably angry with John sometimes. I'm sure I never used to be so sensitive"(Gillman 103). Here

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