Madness by Social Isolation in the Yellow Wallpaper and the Bluest Eye

Madness by Social Isolation in

The Yellow Wallpaper

 and

The Bluest Eye

James Johannes

Dr. Green

English Lit. 502

2 February 2016

        American Literature has a rich history of female authors and characters, though not nearly as numerous as their male counterparts, female authors provide us with a glimpse of American life from a woman’s perspective. Two authors who have fundamentally contributed to American Literature from a woman’s perspective are Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Toni Morrison. Charlotte Perkins Gilman Presents her story of “mere ordinary people” (1) who rent a house for the summer. The Yellow Wallpaper is told in the first person from a un-named female lead character. Jane’s husband is a doctor who is convinced that she is suffering from nervousness and hysteria. The story was written at the end of the 19th century, and while it is not explicitly mentioned, it is set in the same period. Jane’s husband insists that he knows what’s best for her illness, “temporary nervous depression,” (1) and insists that she stay in the rented house until she is better. While there, Jane begins to be obsessed with the wallpaper in her room, and the reader is forced to journey with her as she descends into madness. Morrison’s tale, set nearly a half century later, is divided by the seasons, and begins with autumn. Each season the reader learns a little more about Pecola Breedlove, and her family. In Pecola’s case, there is more than one family; the story is told by Claudia, a young girl who will become Pecola’s friend when she goes to stay with Claudia and her family. Pecola is an African American girl growing up in rural Ohio after her parents met and moved from Kentucky. Pecola’s life is hard; when The Bluest Eye opens Claudia is describing how Pecola came to live with her and her family, Pecola was “a case…a girl who had no place to go” (Morrison 16). By the time the story closes, at the end of the fourth season, summer, Pecola has gone mad. Jane’s madness begins with depreression as a adult while Pecola’s starts with self worth as a child. Both stories center around women who go mad from different life experiences however both have one very important connection, social isolation. Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Toni Morrison both present examples of female characters who descend into madness as a result of their social isolation from family and friends.

        The Yellow Wallpaper is set during the center of a 70 year span which is now considered the women’s rights movement in The United States. The movement officially began in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848, (“History”) which is 12 years before Gilman was born, and 44 years before she published The Yellow Wallpaper. This era was a time of social change for women. But even in this era of change, women were still bound by their relationships with their husbands or fathers, and even brothers. In Gilman’s short story Jane’s only escape is her diary, which in turn becomes the narrative of the story. She describes how her husband insists that he knows what is best for her, “If a physician of high standing, and one's own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression—a slight hysterical tendency—what is one to do? My brother is also a physician, and also of high standing, and he says the same thing” (Gilman). The preceeding line is evidence that Jane “dwells in the middle of a patriarchy,” (Ford) but also develops the social structure which is in place. This social structure is the beginning of the root cause of Jane’s ultimate madness. Jane’s husband regularly isolates her against her objections. Ford argues that this is because Gilman wanted Jane to be representative of women at the time.  Women were not free to voice their own concerns or what was best for themselves, instead having to rely on the advice and consent of a man.

        Jane’s interaction with her husband may have been typical at the time, but certainly is less so today, and yet being typical, it is obvious that not all women went mad when they had seemingly well intended, yet controlling, husbands. There is a reoccurring theme of superiority and helplessness; John simply knows what is best for Jane, and Jane is powerless to despute his decisions, as she writes in her diary; “personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good. But what is one to do?” (Gilman). Jane’s own ideas regarding what is best for her are simply ignored.

        Jane descends into madness as her social isolation evolves; her journey is documented unknowingly through her descritptions of the wallpaper. After John insists that she take the room  with the yellow wallpaper Jane describes the wallpaper with a level of detail which is almost humorous.

“One of those sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin. It is dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide—plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard of contradictions. The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight” (Gilman).

The way in which Jane describes the paper changes as she becomes more isolated and detached from the world. The initial description may be humorous or overly elaborative, but that is simply because we as a society already assign such labels to women. In her review of The Yellow Wallpaper Mae Dell Dulaney describes her own relatability to Jane saying “it’s…the constrictions of my existence as a woman that drives me crazy” (13). This is because women are seen as anxious and overly elaborative or worrisome. If that is the case than the description of the paper is perfectly normal.

Early on Jane mentions that she wishes to have visitors, a cousin, but her husband refuses saying that it will not be good for her condition. As the days progress Jane reveals that she has recently given birth, and her child is being taken care of by her sister in law, denying Jane the ability to bond socially with her new-born. It is at this point apparent that Jane suffers from what is now called post partum depression, “ Such a dear baby! And yet I cannot be with him, it makes me so nervous” (Gilman). According to the National Institute of Mental Health, postpartum depression is best treated through talk therapy/ couseling; (Post) by denying Jane social interaction, her well intended husband is making her more “nervous.” In addition to being isolated from her child, Jane is forbidden to work; she cannot write, something she clearly enjoys doing. This is further socially isolating Jane, as she writes, “It is so discouraging not to have any advice and companionship about my work” (Gilman). What Jane describes as “discouraging” is really social isolation, lonliness. Jane is isolated from friends and family, even her own child, and her description of the wallpaper reflects her decling state, “this paper looks to me as if it knew what a vicious influence it had! There is a recurrent spot where the pattern lolls like a broken neck and two bulbous eyes stare at you upside down.”