Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” describes a young woman who suffers from depression after the birth of her son. This woman is protected by her husband in a country villa, where she persists in withdrawing into her mind for lack of other stimuli. Through the narrator's drastic plunge into madness, Gilman accurately describes the limited roles available to nineteenth-century women and the domineering and oppressive actions men took towards them. In the first five lines alone, Gilman illustrates male-dominated society and relationships. "John laughs at me, of course, but that's expected in marriage." It was customary for men to assume that their sex knew what, when, how and why to live. John, the narrator's husband, is a prominent doctor, and both his wife's words and actions reflect this stereotype of stature and authority. The above quote demonstrates the husband's belittling of the narrator and his lack of interest in her thoughts and opinions. The narrator's husband, John, does not believe that she is ill, when in reality she suffers from severe depression. He neglects to listen to his wife regarding her thoughts, feelings, and health. According to him there is nothing wrong, apart from some temporary nervous problems, which should not be serious. The only adequate cure stated in the story is a reference to the actual cure proscribed in that time period, a rest cure dictated by neurologists Weir Mitchell. This “cure” included total bed rest and isolation. When the narrator's husband threatens to send her to Mitchell if she doesn't get better faster, she responds, “But I don't want to go there at all. I had a friend who was once in her care and she says… middle of paper… she suffered a “nervous breakdown” shortly after her daughter was born. Her doctor subjected her to the famous "rest cure" and ordered her, as did the narrator's husband, to stay in bed and avoid writing or any other creativity. When Gilman escaped her madness, she left her husband to establish her own independence and became a staunch advocate for women's rights. Essentially, Gilman and his main character suffer from a common malaise. “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a portrait of a woman's journey to madness, while illustrating the domineering role that men took on women in the nineteenth century. Everyone should read “The Yellow Wallpaper,” as it is a powerful story of man against himself. Through Gilman's story and its beautiful depiction of madness, "The Yellow Wallpaper" clearly addresses the sexual politics of the man-woman, husband-wife relationship..