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Psychological Disorders In The Yellow Wallpaper

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In The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the reader follows a woman who suffers from depression but can not seek help because her husband does not believe it. As the couple travels to a colonial-styled estate, the narrator discovers the yellow wallpaper, as mentioned in the title, and soon becomes fascinated with it. Gilman wrote this story to shed light upon the psychological disorders that many suffer from but get overlooked. The short story portrays the notion of Id, Ego, and Superego. Id is shown throughout the story as the narrator makes an effort to restrain it but eventually writes down her thoughts on paper. By confronting her unconscious, she allows herself to open up her mind and reflect on both her relationship and mental illness. Throughout the story, she believes that if she were able to express her emotions freely, she would then be relieved of her thoughts. As the story continues, the woman begins to see patterns in the wallpaper because of an imbalance between the Id, Ego, and Superego. As her repressed emotions take over her more and more, she begins to see women trapped within the walls. Eventually, referring to herself …show more content…

In the story, the narrator mentions two male characters, her brother and her husband, John. When writing down her thoughts, she writes about how both men in her life do not believe there is something wrong with her besides the fact that she just needs rest. Reading further, she continues to write about the relationship between her and her husband, John. Both her brother and her husband symbolize societal expectations. As she continues to suffer, trying to learn to live with her condition, both men continuously assure her that there is nothing seriously wrong with her and that there is an explanation and cure for how she feels, leading her to believe that she is just thinking irrationally. This is where ego is

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