Marriage failure is illustrated in “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892), a work of
Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935). This short story is considered one of the
most psychologically haunting tales in American literature with the depiction of a
nearly insane married woman. She suffers deep depression and is “cured” by her
insensitive doctor-husband, “the modern, rational, scientific American male”
(Smith, 1984 : 765) with the method of complete isolation which drives his wife
into deeper and deeper nervous depression. “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a diary of
Gilman, whose marriage was not successful. She divorced her husband, finding
that she was overwhelmed by domestic responsibilities. She suffered a nervous
breakdown, much like the heroine of this short story, but Gilman’s treatment was
passionately throwing herself into the women’s movement. She composed many
short stories and articles and lectured on women’s rights, labor and the cooperative
movement. Gilman believed that women could not receive true freedom
and equality without economic independence.
Sarri, 1986 : 11).