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what is the rest cure treatment in the yellow wallpaper

by Norris Purdy Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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In the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892), the author Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses her own personal experience of the “rest cure” to demonstrate the negative effects of the common practice. The “rest cure” is a treatment for nervous disorders that consists of time that is spent isolated or in complete rest without any activity.

His signature “rest cure” relied on severe restriction of the body. Patients were kept completely isolated, fed rich, creamy foods and forbidden to do any kind of activity, from reading a book to going on a walk. “Complete submission to the authority of the physician” and enforced rest were seen as part of the cure.Sep 12, 2018

Full Answer

Why is the rest cure important in the Yellow Wallpaper?

Mar 21, 2013 · Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935) whom is most famous for her authorization of The Yellow Wallpaper (1891) was a women writer ahead of her time. Gilman creates a horrifying image of entrapment in the short story, illustrating a semi-autobiographical picture of a young woman undergoing the rest cure treatment by her husband, whom is also her …

What is the rest cure?

The rest cure treatment in "The Yellow Wallpaper" was a common treatment applied to women with a variety of mental health issues in the late... See …

What does the Yellow Wallpaper illuminates?

In the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892), the author Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses her own personal experience of the “rest cure” to demonstrate the negative effects of the common practice. The “rest cure” is a treatment for nervous disorders that consists of time that is spent isolated or in complete rest without any activity.

How does Gilman's treatment in the Yellow Wallpaper reflect her character?

Oct 22, 2014 · The rest cure treatment had a good popularity in the 19th century to cure women having mental illnesses like anxiety disorder or major depression. Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell introduced the rest cure. He essentially locked up women for two months and gave them minute contact with the external world. There had been great changes seen in women’s ...

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What was the rest cure in The Yellow Wallpaper?

Gilman was treated with the “rest cure”, devised by Mitchell, as is the protagonist of the story; like an infant, she was dosed, fed at regular intervals and above all ordered to rest. Mitchell instructed Gilman to live as domestic a life as possible “and never touch pen, brush or pencil as long as you live”.Feb 27, 2018

What was the rest cure used to treat?

Noticing that many nervous women looked thin and anemic, Mitchell assumed that their physical and mental health would improve once they gained weight and red blood cells. The function of the rest cure was to help patients gain fat and blood as rapidly as possible, through a rich diet and minimal exertion.

What specific medical treatment does the narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper undergo?

In the harrowing tale, the narrator slowly goes mad while enduring Mitchell's regimen of enforced bed rest, seclusion and overfeeding. This oppressive “cure” involved electrotherapy and massage, in addition to a meat-rich diet and weeks or months of bed rest.

What was John treatment in The Yellow Wallpaper?

John's treatment of his wife consists of medical prescriptions, “I take phosphates or phosphites-whichever it is-and tonics,... ... middle of paper ... ... ssion and intrusiveness.

Why was the rest cure given?

Weir saw the rest cure as particularly suited to treating women, partly because he thought women tolerated a lack of stimulation and inactivity better than men. He also saw it as a corrective for women who were overly active, socially and physically.Jun 12, 2019

What were the elements of the rest cure?

The cure, which was prescribed almost exclusively for women, had three core elements: isolation, rest, and feeding, with electro- therapy and massage added to counteract muscle atrophy.

What is the rest cure Weir Mitchell?

Weir Mitchell, a wealthy and influential Philadelphia neurologist, created the rest cure, a regimen of forced bed rest, restricted diet, and a combination of massage and electrical muscle stimulation in place of exercise.

How did Gilman respond to the rest cure?

Gilman was fed, bathed, and massaged; she responded well to treatment and after a month was sent home with the prescription to live as domestically as possible, keep her child with her at all times, lie down for one hour after each meal, and to never touch a pen, brush, or pencil for the rest of her life.

What does the creeping figure in the wallpaper represent The Yellow Wallpaper?

The woman behind the wallpaper seems to represent the narrator's own sense of confinement and being oppressed, and she eventually identifies herself entirely with this mysterious figure.

How does the husband treat the wife in The Yellow Wallpaper?

He cares for his wife, but the unequal relationship in which they find themselves prevents him from truly understanding her and her problems. By treating her as a “case” or a “wife” and not as a person with a will of her own, he helps destroy her, which is the last thing he wants.

Is John abusive in The Yellow Wallpaper?

In “The Yellow Wallpaper” John uses emotionally abusive tactics to gain control over the woman and to create an environment in which the woman is subordinate to him.

Definition

In the yellow wallpaper, the husband of the narrator prescribes to her something which is referred to as yellow cure, even though this rest cure is not explicitly mentioned in the yellow wallpaper. His husband, John, who is a doctor, has diagnosed her with a nervous condition or a mild hysterical tendency.

The history of the rest cure

This cure was invented towards the end of the 19th century by Silas Weir Mitchell, who was an American neurosurgeon and became widely used in both USA and the UK in the early 20th century.

Importance of this rest cure

Rest cure had a lot of significance in the treatment of a psychological disorder in an individual. It is not to be associated with particular sex since it helps to cure both the female and the male genders from brain injuries and other psychological disorders.

Relationship to text

Based on the experience by the narrator, to contextualize this cure to the context of the Yellow Wallpaper story, Gilman viewed her husband as her physician at the beginning and placed all her faith in him. The treatment she experienced was intolerable, and it was accompanied by cruelty.

Cite this page

The Rest Cure: The Yellow Wallpaper. (2019, May 13). Retrieved July 3, 2021 , from

What is the rest cure in Yellow Wallpaper?

The “rest cure” is a treatment for nervous disorders that consists of time that is spent isolated or in complete rest without any activity. In the beginning of the story, the narrator seems sane although somewhat depressed, but as the story goes on she becomes increasingly unstable. The story begins with the narrator and her husband, John, renting a stately manor. John, who is also a physician, decides that she needs rest and will be confined to an attic room in the rented house, but to her it feels and looks more like a prison. The narrator spends …show more content…

What is the Yellow Wallpaper about?

Charlotte Perkins Gilman writes in the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” about how the oppressed life of a nineteenth century woman leading to the loss of a woman 's individuality. In the story, told through a journal entry, John confines the narrator to the nursery, due to her “illness” where she writes in her journal about her feelings of her experiences in her daily life. While in the nursery, the narrator dislikes John’s decision about her staying in the nursery and grows obsessed with the wallpaper, eventually tearing it down. Charlotte Perkins Gilman utilizes characterization and symbolism…

Who wrote the Yellow Wallpaper?

“These nervous troubles are dreadfully depressing”, wrote Charlotte Perkins Gilman in her short story, The Yellow Wallpaper. Though later gaining recognition as a journalist and social critic rather than an author of fiction, Gilman is best known for this brief and extraordinary piece of writing published in 1892.

Does Hilary Marland work for a company?

Hilary Marland does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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Definition

  • In the yellow wallpaper, the husband of the narrator prescribes to her something which is referred to as yellow cure, even though this rest cure is not explicitly mentioned in the yellow wallpaper. His husband, John, who is a doctor, has diagnosed her with a nervous condition or a mild hysterical tendency. According to the narrator, the diagnosis i...
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The History of The Rest Cure

  • This cure was invented towards the end of the 19th century by Silas Weir Mitchell, who was an American neurosurgeon and became widely used in both USA and the UK in the early 20th century. This cure was developed during the civil war when the trireme of soldiers who experienced severe nerve damage from bullets and therefore developed wounds (Golden 22). Th…
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Importance of This Rest Cure

  • Rest cure had a lot of significance in the treatment of a psychological disorder in an individual. It is not to be associated with particular sex since it helps to cure both the female and the male genders from brain injuries and other psychological disorders. However, the condition was misused to undermine women in the society and made them remain low through isolating them …
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Relationship to Text

  • Based on the experience by the narrator, to contextualize this cure to the context of the Yellow Wallpaper story, Gilman viewed her husband as her physician at the beginning and placed all her faith in him. The treatment she experienced was intolerable, and it was accompanied by cruelty. She, therefore, realized that it was a form of manipulation by men who suffocated her during th…
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