The Brink of Insanity

The story The Yellow Wallpaper brings up a controversial point about insanity that we see today. This is that we as a society find some people to be insane or mentally unstable, but in fact it could only be a phase of life that is completely natural although we don't know it yet. We see this in the narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper as she was not necessarily insane to begin with, but as her husband claimed to treat her, she actually began to loose her mind. Because she was born a woman, the society she lived in did not give her equal rights as a man, which allowed the man to be mostly in control. This is mainly seen as spheres of living, the woman being the small inner sphere that relies on the man being the outer sphere that decides most everything. This sphere control can be seen recently in places such as hospitals and mental institutions. We as humans have very little understanding on how the mind truly works although many have been treated successfully for various illnesses. This being said, some remodels that have been put on patients can actually worsen their condition, just as the narrators in The Yellow Wallpaper. Since the doctors and psychologists have been placed in control of the patients, they essentially have the persons sanity in their control, such as the narrators husband did. Although their intention may not be the same as his for keeping them isolated in some cases, they still could do more harm than good. Even if the patient attempts to free themself, they still are helpless because of the view society has on them, and have little hope for escape. This social captivity will most likely continue in the world, but as time goes on we have become better at giving all fair rights.