Submitted by : Bisma Safdar

Submitted to: Maam Ameena Sherzad Khattak

Course: Women Writing
Reading Women’s Worlds from Christine de Pizan to Doris
Lessing
 Madwomen in the Attic:Madness and Suicide in
Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s “the Yellow Wallpaper”
and doris Lessing’s “to Room Ninteen”
This chapter introduces the theme of madness and silence in women’s lives, focusing on “The
Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and “To Room Nineteen” by Doris Lessing.
The chapter contrasts the idea of women expressing their anger openly, as discussed in earlier
chapters, with the consequences of silence. It suggests that when women repress their anguish
and remain silent, they become like the "madwomen" such as Bertha Mason from “Jane Eyre”—
hidden from society, yet trapped in their despair. These women, though ordinary in appearance,
struggle with internalized, unspoken pain.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” was published in 1892 during the first-
wave feminist movement. This movement centered on women’s fight for legal status, economic
independence, and political rights, such as suffrage. Gilman’s story portrays the impact of the
"cult of true womanhood," an American adaptation of the Victorian ideal of the submissive wife
and mother, who is defined by her purity and duty.

Similarly, Doris Lessing’s “To Room Nineteen”, written in 1963, a pivotal year for second-wave
feminism, focuses on the myth of the fulfilled homemaker and the "problem that has no name,"
as described by Betty Friedan in *The Feminine Mystique”. Lessing’s protagonist, Susan
Rawlings, like the narrator of *The Yellow Wallpaper”, is a wife and mother haunted by societal
expectations. The narrative illustrates her struggle to escape the suffocating role of the "angel of
the house" .

In both stories, the protagonists are confined to a single room. The room, in each case,
symbolizes a prison, confining these women both physically and psychologically. Gilman’s
unnamed narrator is subjected to a rest cure by her physician-husband, who chooses a room for
her, transforming it into a site of psychological torture. Similarly, Lessing’s Susan Rawlings
finds herself trapped by the societal expectations of womanhood, with her own space—Room
Nineteen—symbolizing both her refuge and her isolation.

This chapter juxtaposes these two works, showing how women’s battles against societal roles
transcended time, from the 19th century’s "true womanhood" to the 20th century's second-wave
feminist struggle against domestic ideals. The shared imagery of confinement in a room
underscores the larger theme of psychological and societal imprisonment that both women face.

This section delves deeper into the theme of confinement and psychological oppression in “The
Yellow Wallpaper” and “To Room Nineteen”. Both stories present women whose mental distress
is a direct result of their societal roles as wives and mothers. The concept of occupying a single
room is central to both narratives, symbolizing entrapment rather than liberation. For Susan
Rawlings in Doris Lessing’s “To Room Nineteen”, the "Mother's Room" in her home, offered as
a refuge by her husband and children, becomes a place of torture. Her final escape is to a dingy
hotel room, where she ends her life, signifying that her suicide is her ultimate release from the
stifling domesticity she can no longer bear.

Both stories highlight the damaging effects of patriarchal control over women’s lives,
particularly regarding their mental health. The rooms they are confined to are not places of peace
but symbols of their emotional and psychological imprisonment. In these rooms, their madness
becomes both a response to and an escape from the suffocating roles imposed on them by society
and their male caretakers.

The narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” is placed under the control of her husband, John, who is
a physician. He rigorously monitors every aspect of her life, including her diet, exercise, and
even social interactions, which he strictly limits to avoid "overstimulation." The most oppressive
aspect of her treatment is the prohibition of any work or creative activity, as she is "absolutely
forbidden" to engage in any intellectual pursuits until she is "well again." The narrator’s
condition reflects societal attitudes toward women's health at the time. There is nothing
inherently sinister about John’s intentions—he is not malicious.. In fact, his brother, another
respected physician, agrees with the treatment plan. However, the narrator subtly hints that this
approach is failing her, suspecting that part of the problem may be her husband’s medical
authority over her: “perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster.” She reveals a more
profound issue when she suggests that John does not believe she is truly sick, touching on a
broader theme—the inherent association of womanhood with illness. Historically, the condition
known as "hysteria" has been linked to women. The term itself comes from the Greek word
"hystera," meaning womb, suggesting that women's reproductive systems were the source of
their "congenital illness."

At the same time, hysteria was regarded with suspicion. Women, by nature of being female, were
considered prone to exaggerating or fabricating illness to avoid domestic duties. The narrator's
frustration becomes apparent when she voices her disagreement with their diagnosis, believing
that work and social stimulation would benefit her. However, she remains trapped in a system
where her views are dismissed, and she is constantly met with the question, “What is one to do?”
This reflects the broader societal issue faced by women during this era, who were rendered
voiceless and powerless by male-dominated medical authority. The repetition of her question
emphasizes her helplessness and the impossibility of her situation. Though she suspects that
more social interaction and less opposition might help her condition, she is cut off mid-thought,
never allowed to fully express her own perspective.

The narrator’s physical confinement in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is explored in relation to her
sense of helplessness and the lack of control over her environment. Upon arriving at the house,
she is initially drawn to a bright and pleasant downstairs room that would be ideal for her
recovery.

The discussion then introduces an unexpected figure in relation to the narrator’s situation:
Florence Nightingale. The image many people have of Nightingale, shaped by sanitized
biographies and films, depicts her as the compassionate “lady with the lamp.” However, Virginia
Woolf's ‘A Room of One's Own” offers a different perspective. Woolf reveals the untold agony
and despair that Nightingale experienced, particularly in her work "Cassandra." Nightingale,
before becoming the well-known figure in history, struggled with the limitations imposed on her,
expressing her frustration and pain in ‘Cassandra’. Nightingale's experience, particularly her
feelings of hopelessness and lack of opportunity for meaningful work, parallels the narrator’s in
‘The Yellow Wallpaper’. Both women faced confinement—whether through physical isolation
or societal expectations—and both yearned for intellectual fulfillment and freedom from
imposed roles. Nightingale’s ‘Cassandra’ provides a powerful commentary on the restrictive
roles assigned to women, and Woolf’s call to "See Cassandra" urges readers to acknowledge the
deeper struggles that women like Nightingale faced, struggles that are also embodied in the
narrator of ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’. This section of the text emphasizes how women's isolation
and the denial of their intellectual and emotional needs lead to their psychological deterioration.
The narrator’s enforced passivity and separation from society reflect the broader cultural norms
that sought to control women’s lives. Florence Nightingale’s despair in ‘Cassandra’ serves as a
poignant reminder of how women have historically been denied the chance to pursue meaningful
work, further reinforcing the themes of isolation and oppression in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’.
Both the narrator and Nightingale represent women trapped by the expectations of their time,
struggling against the limitations placed upon them by a patriarchal society.

The chapter explores how both stories depict the psychological effects of this silent suffering and
examine how the characters cope with their emotional confinement. It creates a powerful critique
of societal expectations placed on women, especially in their prescribed roles as wives and
mothers.

In conclusion, both ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ and ‘To Room Nineteen’ critique the psychological
and societal imprisonment of women, illustrating the dire consequences of denying women their
autonomy and creative expression. These stories serve as powerful reminders of the impact that
societal roles and patriarchal structures have on women’s mental health and their ability to live
fulfilling independent lives.