Yellow Wallpaper- Revised

The Yellow Wallpaper

“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. So I take phosphates or phosphites-- whichever it is and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to “work” until I am well again. Personally I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good.”(648)

In the novel from “ The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Stetson, the narrator begins this statement about trust. Trust that one has in a professional or trust in a spouse. She poses a question that is difficult to answer. She mentions how her husband, a well trusted doctor, diagnosed her condition as temporary nervous depression. She must trust him by social convention when he emphasizes there isn’t much to do. She must recover by resting and by not working. The recovery will be slow but it will come. By following his instructions, the family can only hope she will improve.

In this passage the word “assures”, is used to in an ironic way. It is suppose to eliminate any fears that the narrator has any real concerns. But John assuring friends and relatives and neglected to consider the narrator’s feelings and opinions. John intoxicates his wife with numerous of medications, he fails to consider any other remedies for her. He managed to assure everyone that he had picked out the right medical treatment but failed to assure his own wife and patient.

She poses the question “What is one to do?” after stating the credibility her husband has. She also then discusses her brother’s opinion, which coincides with her husband's opinion. She is clearly showing that there is every reason to support her husband’s professional opinion. But she is not satisfied with his diagnosis. She is still searching for answers and looking for more options. But with both her husband and brother against her, she has no alternative.

She lets John’s belief roll around in her head. At times she lets herself consider the option that maybe “John is right” which became an excuse. But although she clearly said her husband is a “high standing physician”,  she hasn’t got better. In my perspective, if all she needed was rest and some medication, she would be “cured” by now. She has been ingesting the pills since she was diagnosed but she is still facing issues. The treatments that she is taking this time was suppose to help but has yet to show any improvement in her health.

Perhaps she is just confused. She may let her confusion affect her whole life and therefore it may appears as some kind of depression. Regardless if she has depression or not, her husband is not looking at the details in front of him. There is no improvement in his wife’s health. She has reason to doubt both her husband and brother’s medical opinion. She needs her family’s love and care to help better her health. Her assistance in housework like cleaning or cooking, may help her condition. Distraction may be the cure that she needs to get better.