Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper takes place between the late 1890s and early 1900s. The main reason is that the story depicts Gilman’s own life. Thus, it is a semi-autobiography.
Detailed answer:
The setting time of The Yellow Wallpaper is around its publication date. It reflects the author’s struggles with mental issues. Thus, the story promotes feminist values and addresses the lack of attention to women’s mental health problems. The plot demonstrates how female citizens did not have a voice in designing their treatment procedures. In those days, it was common to diagnose women with hysteria or depression. The story describes that patriarchal values lead to the wrong treatment.
For example, Jennie blames her writing and diary for sickness. In other words, society viewed female mental health issues as something temporary with no evident cause. Besides, both genders reproached women for doing “male” activities.
The setting time is definite because it carries the ideas of feminism’s first wave. The movement took place during the late 19th century and early 20th century. The dominance of the main character’s husband is prominent, which shows that women had no autonomy.
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