Contributing Force For Jane's Mental Illness example essay topic

Falling from the Shoulders of Giants: The Yellow Wall-Paper as a Classic Example of the Dangers of Human Arrogance Progressive dementia is the process by which an individual gradually losses their intellectual capacity and personality integration. In 'The Yellow Wall-Paper,' Gilman captures the essence of the journey to madness via her use of first person narration. The relationship between Jane, the narrator of the story, and her husband John provokes an uneasy curiosity in the reader. While the evidence that John sincerely cares for his wife and is attempting everything in his power to facilitate her recovery is apparent, a careful analysis of the story alludes to the possibility that he may be, perhaps inadvertently, at the root of her insanity. Since 'The Yellow Wall-Paper' is written in first-person, the reader's view of each of the characters is limited by the narrator's descriptions. Armed with that bit of a priori knowledge, we can get a feel for the relationship between John and Jane as represented by Jane's view of her husband and Jane's views of herself in her husband's eyes.

Jane views herself as a 'comparative burden (3) ' to her husband. She obviously wants to be a good wife, but her current condition seems to reinforce a latent inferiority complex. Jane says that John 'laughs at her so about this wall-paper!' This statement provides evidence that Jane also suffers from delusions of persecution. It is unlikely that John is actually laughing extensively at his wife over something as mundane as wall-paper. Jane seems to have a great deal of respect for her husband.

She thinks that 'John never was nervous in his life' (3). This is additional evidence of Jane's inferiority complex relative to her husband because a rational individual would realize that everyone is nervous at some point in their life. From one perspective, John appears to be sincerely concerned about his wife and her well-being. John has temporarily moved his wife to the colonial mansion to facilitate her recovery.

'He said we came here solely on my account, that I was to have perfect rest and all the air I could get (2). ' John placed Jane into 'a big, airy room, the whole floor nearly, with windows that look all ways, and air and sunshine galore' (2). This room is designed to be safe for children as indicated by the barred windows. Thus, it should be safe for his wife. The strongest support for John's concern for his wife is represented by his reaction to seeing Jane at the height of her psychotic episode. 'Now why should that man have fainted?' (13).

Even Jane herself is perplexed by his reaction. A substantial amount of evidence seems to allude to the possibility that John may be the cause or at least a contributing force for Jane's mental illness. It is important to mention, that John may be completely unaware of his contribution to Jane's progressive dementia. Jane provides substantial support for this proposition in the beginning of the story when she remarks about her husband's career. 'John is a physician, and perhaps... that is one reason I do not get well faster (1).

' Jane says that her husband does not believe she is actually ill. Should an illness exist, denial of its existence is very counterproductive for the recuperation process. Jane feels as though 'congenial work, with excitement and change (1) ' would do her good. However, Jane is not allowed to engage in regular social activity and conversations with others as part of her treatment. The yellow wall-paper itself provides for some interesting arguments in favor of John's facilitation of Jane's dementia. When Jane attempts to explain her aversion to the wall-paper, Jane says that John laughs at her extensively (3).

As previously stated, John may not actually be laughing at his wife, but if he is laughing that could contribute to Jane's psychosis. At the very least, he is unwilling to make a simple accommodation for his wife. 'At first he meant to repaper the room, but afterwards he said that I was letting it get the better of me, and that nothing was worse for a nervous patient than to give way to such fancies' (3). This demonstrates that John is willing to force his wife to endure an uncomfortable situation even though the situation may be contributing to her illness.

Superficially, the evidence that John sincerely cares for his wife and is attempting everything in his power to facilitate her recovery is substantial; however, a more analytical approach to the story also suggests the possibility that he may driving her insanity. The mathematician Sir Issac Newton said, 'If I was able to see far, it was because I was standing on the shoulders of giants. ' This phrase is popularly used to describe the ability of educated people to advance the human condition. Considering that this story is set in 1891, the actions of John the physician seem to fit well with the often counterproductive methods used by medical people of the time for the treatment of mental patients. During this period, medical treatments were often more dangerous than the disease. Fortunately, the diagnosis and treatment of the psychologically disturbed has progressed over the past century.

However, this story still represents an excellent example of why human beings should never be too confident in their own intellectual progress. As doctors continue to 'stand on the shoulders of giants' and further advance medical science, we must remember to be careful not to trip and fall over our own arrogance.