Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a strong independent woman who fought for women rights, and mental health awareness. Overwhelmed by parenthood, and her roles as a wife she divorced her first husband, Walter Stetson. He later married her best friend. Charlotte left her daughter Katharine in their care. Her second marriage was to her cousin George Gilman who believed in her career goals. He passed away in 1834. Charlotte was living with inoperable breast cancer, and decided to take her life in 1835. She laid a rag soaked in chloroform over her face. In her suicide note she wrote, "I have preferred chloroform to cancer"

Accomplishments

The Yellow Wallpaper was my favorite piece from this semester because it is raw, it is real, and it is scary. I have always been in love with Gilmans work, and I am working on a Psychology major. Therefore it is only fitting that I love this story!

She published her own magazine called The Forerunner from 1909-1916. It discussed her ideas on women issues and social reform.She changed the way some professionals viewed the rest cure, when asked about her controversial story she stated; "It was not intended to drive people crazy, but to save people from being driven crazy, and it worked."

Lasting Impact

Charlottes impact on mental health awareness still impacts the world we know today. She changed a lot of ideas on women and mental health, not to mention she fought for woman rights.

Citations

Jennie, Monique, and Paula. "The Yellow Wallpaper: From the Other Side." YouTube. YouTube, 10 Apr. 2008. Web. 13 July 2014.Baym, Nina, and Robert S. Levine. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. Print.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman:The Yellow Wallpaper

Interesting Facts

Why?

The Yellow WallpaperFrom the Other Side