Examine research literature on hysteria and other so-called "women's problems" published in the late 1800s and connect them to "The Yellow Wallpaper."

What role does John believe a woman should fulfill in society? How might a modern feminist perceive John? What are today's attitudes toward acceptable roles for women?

Read Gilman's autobiography, The Living of Charlotte Perkins (1935), and compare her real-life experience with depression to that of the protagonist in "The Yellow Wallpaper."