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What would a psychological reading say about "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman?

Most scholars agree that "The Yellow Wallpaper" is a thrilling psychological story. 


It becomes clear over the course of the story that the unnamed woman is suffering from Postpartum Depression, which is a condition that sometimes occurs in women after they've had a baby. Symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic, include excessive crying, fatigue, depression, irritability, decreased appetite, and anxiety. If left untreated, postpartum depression can turn into Postpartum Psychosis, in which the woman experiences hallucinations,...

Most scholars agree that "The Yellow Wallpaper" is a thrilling psychological story. 


It becomes clear over the course of the story that the unnamed woman is suffering from Postpartum Depression, which is a condition that sometimes occurs in women after they've had a baby. Symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic, include excessive crying, fatigue, depression, irritability, decreased appetite, and anxiety. If left untreated, postpartum depression can turn into Postpartum Psychosis, in which the woman experiences hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, confusion and disorientation. By the end of "The Yellow Wallpaper," it's clear that the woman has gone mad, and her hallucinations of a woman trapped inside her wallpaper prove it. 


A psychological reading of "The Yellow Wallpaper" might suggest that the woman's captivity led her to madness. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, the woman is confined. Her husband, a doctor, orders her to be kept upstairs in a room with barred windows. He belittles her, treats her like a child, and also prevents her from expressing herself creatively through her journal by forbidding her to write. He expressly tells her not to give in to her emotions or fancies. Even the author creates an effect of captivity for the woman by leaving her unnamed throughout the story - her lack of identity could also be a contributing factor to her madness.


Many psychological readings are also tied to feminist readings of the story, as the woman's gender undoubtedly contributes to her treatment as a captive of her own home. 

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