"The Yellow Wallpaper" - Charlotte Perkins Gilman

I read this story for the first time late at night, and had a very hard time following it. Maybe it was the lateness of the hour, but something about it just rubbed me wrong. I enjoyed it at the beginning, and was looking forward to the development of her character, and was waiting expectantly for the plot to unfold. I think I might have missed something - maybe I will figure out what it is when we discuss this in class tomorrow. But it seemed to me like there could have been more of a story about the whole thing - to have her simply go crazy because of the yellow wallpaper was somewhat bland, and predictable.

So I leaving my opinion, and this post, open to whatever changes might occur from our discussion tomorrow.

New thoughts:
So things did get a little more interesting. I had suspected this, but our discussion in class confirmed that she probably hanged herself at the very end of the story. While this certainly is a terrible and morbid thing for me to be excited about . . .I am. It gives the story a whole new purpose. As she felt herself trapped behind the wallpaper, seeing herself as the "woman" who crept about along the wall, thinking about how the finality of her death was the only way she felt she could be "set free" is sobering.

Mental illness is something that no one likes to talk about or have to deal with. Thankfully, in today's world, we do a better job of it then they seem to have done back then. People are treated for chemical and biological disorders, and there is plenty of other help for emotional problems people may face.

However, I think that, especially among Christians, there is still a reluctance to discuss depression and other mental illnesses. It's almost as if we all feel we must keep up appearances - our society trains us to care so much about what those around us think of us. This is seen in "The Yellow Wallpaper" as her husband and brother push aside her concerns, convincing themselves and those around them that it's simply nerves, something easily dealt with. Obviously, this method didn't exactly work - it resulted in her feeling incredibly trapped and unloved, ultimately culminating in her suicide. So how are we to respond when those we love succumb to depression or another mental disorder?

I don't know the answer to that. :) But I suspect that compassion is a big part of it. Also, the patience to listen and genuinely care about the one who is suffering, not simply brushing things aside. Perhaps we also should be careful to not be condescending or haughty towards them, but allow them the "freedom" to still think and participate in society. But how to balance that with caring for and helping them about it a mystery to me. . .