Poverty and Postpartum Depression

When I first read “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, I thought the main character was quite odd. I can’t say that I was surprised when I found out the woman in the story suffered from postpartum depression. Postpartum depression was first recognized as a disorder in 1850. Like the woman in her story, Gilman suffered from the disorder as well. After reading “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Gilman’s biography, I wonder if she was destined to suffer from the disorder due to the events in her life. “The Yellow Wallpaper” provoked me to question if there is a correlation between poverty and postpartum depression.

It is estimated that 15-20% of women who give birth will be affected by postpartum depression.  Charlotte Perkins Gilman sunk into the depression after giving birth to her daughter. Though it is a serious condition, with proper treatment, women can fully recover from the disorder. Unfortunately for Gilman and other women in the late 1800’s, postpartum was treated with the “rest cure”. The rest cure was a method used for nervous disorders that prohibited any type of physical activity or stimulation. Today, the disorder is often treated with medication and counseling. It is said that postpartum is caused by hormonal changes in women. According to the Bronfenbenner ecology theory, a woman’s lifestyle must be taken into account when evaluating the disorder. This theory implies that the culture, community, workplace, family, and society needs to be evaluated as a possible cause or contribution leading to postpartum depression.

[ http://www.itsamomsworld.com/moms_room_health_postpartum_depression.html ]

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born into poverty. She was abandoned by her father at a young age. She received a poor education, and vowed to never marry. According to a new study, more than 50% of women of low-income show signs of depression between two weeks and fourteen months after having a child. Poverty affects people lives in several ways. People living in poverty are more likely to suffer from depression. The constant worry of housing,money, food, and a proper education for their family can lead to very stressful lives. Women who live in poverty are already at risk for depression prior to pregnancy. The likelihood of postpartum depression increases after they conceive.

[ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/08/26/AR2010082600027.htl ]

[ http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/poverty-raises-risk-of-postpartum-depression/ ]

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of seventy-two. She committed suicide three years later.

A Glance at Emily Dickinson

To be or not to be...who really was Emily Dickinson?

My favorite poem that I read by Emily Dickinson so far is “I never lost as much but twice”. Although very short, this poem provoked me to wonder what kind of person Emily Dickinson really was and what her life was like. Was she a quiet, timid girl, as she appeared in her pictures? Or was she an outspoken woman? Where did she come from? Did she have a difficult life or did she come from a prestigious family?

Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts to Edward Dickinson and Emily Norcross. Her father was a successful lawyer and United States Congressman. Emily came from a family that advocated education and were adamant Calvinists. She was said to be somewhat of a “homebody” and lived a secluded life. Her father was a stern man, and monitored closely the books his children read. Emily had to sneak and read books deemed “inappropriate”. She did not, however, share her father’s views and was somewhat rebellious in nature.

[ http://www.biographyonline.net/poets/emily_dickinson.html ]

Emily Dickinson appeared childlike and often referred to herself as a child in her poetry. She was an intelligent woman who did not let on much of who she really was. She was described by Thomas Wentworth Higginson as intense. She was often questioned on her sexuality, spirituality, and views on life. This leads me to think we may not have known the real Emily Dickinson. All that we know of the writer is her works, but I believe the personality of the writer, the kind of person she really was, still goes unknown. What provoked Dickinson? Who inspired her? Due to her shy nature and secluded life, we may never know what made the writer tick.

[ http://www.online-literature.com/dickinson/ ]

This is a very interesting clip on critics view of Emily Dickinson:

I do believe the poem “I never lost as much but twice” was a glimpse of the poet’s life. Though it may appear to be about money, I think it has an underlying message of something much greater:

I NEVER lost as much but twice,

And that was in the sod;

Twice have I stood a beggar

Before the door of God!

Angels, twice descending,

Reimbursed my store.

Burglar, banker, father,

I am poor once more!

[ http://www.poetry-archive.com/d/i_never_lost_as_much_but_twice.html ]

Emily Dickinson died at the age of 55 from Bright's disease.