The Yellow Wallpaper is a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman that was first published in 1892. It is considered a classic of feminist literature and is often studied in literature and women’s studies courses. The story is a first-person narrative of a woman who is suffering from postpartum depression and is prescribed rest cure by her physician husband. The protagonist is confined to a room with yellow wallpaper and becomes obsessed with it, ultimately descending into madness. The story is a powerful exploration of the effects of patriarchal society on women’s mental health and is considered an early critique of the way women were treated by the medical profession in the late 19th century.