The Psychological Challenges of Oppressed Women Regarding Charlotte Research Paper

The Psychological Challenges of Oppressed Women Regarding Charlotte Perkins Gilman The Yellow Wallpaper and Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House - Research Paper Example The story, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† deals with the horrible psychological transition of a woman in order to show how the society imposed restrictions can mutilate the psychological growth of women, whereas Ibsen’s play shows a woman’s struggle primarily to cope with the patriarchy’s expectation from women and her choice to tread a more perilous path of life, that is free of the patriarchal protection for women, in order to search for her own self. But these two authors have commonly vindicated that both parental and nuptial restrictions are detrimental to the harmonious psychological growth of women. That is, women’s struggle for their own selves must challenge the so-called male-imposed norms, rules and regulations in the name of women’s betterment. Yet the two texts have two different ends. In the conclusions while Gilman’s heroine is found to become psychologically deranged, Ibsen’s heroine Nora chooses to seek for her ide ntity defying the patriarchal protect in her husband’s house. II - Society’s Attitude towards Women’s Psychological illness in the 19th Century and its Influence on Gilman’s Writing Both â€Å"the Yellow Wallpaper† and â€Å"A Doll’s House† deal with the psychological challenges of women in the 19th century. ... Gilman shows that what Jane’s husband thought for her wellbeing ironically pushed towards the verge of madness and on the contrary, allowing Jane to walk on her own way could have saved her from her tragic end. Like Ibsen she also shows that the position of women in a male dominated society is rather harmful for them, though ironically their male counterpart means such restriction for the betterment of the female. a. Early views of Mental Illness Gilman’s story speaks more of the patriarchy’s attitudes towards women’s mental illness, in the 19th century, which was considered to be the result of extensive brainwork. Especially in women’s case, brainstorming was thought to be more detrimental to women’s psychology. Consequently women are commonly kept away from brainwork such as reading, writing, mass education, and from any other intellectual works. Indeed, the main line of the story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† has greatly been shaped b y a major event of Gilman’s life, as Thrailkill says, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper draws heavily on a particularly painful episode in Gilman’s own life† (67). In 1886 after the birth of her daughter, Gilman becomes a victim of severe depression. In a book, â€Å"The Living of Charlotte Perkins Gilman† Gilman admits that her â€Å"unbearable inner misery† is worsened by her husband’s presence. Her husband, Weir Mitchell, nervous specialist prescribed her â€Å"rest cure† or â€Å"forced inactivity† as her treatment that rather worsened her condition further (Gilman 79-82). All her condition was conveyed into the story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†. b. Doctors and early treatment The fact, whether the 19th century Doctor’s