A Reader, a Writer, and an Activist :Gilman's Background

     Woman’s Rights Activist, Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born on July 3, 1860 in Connecticut.  At an early age she learned how to read and she spent most of her time reading books her father had selected for her.  She always did well in school, and she ended up attending the Rhode Island School of Design.  During her adulthood she married Charles Stetson, and one year later they had their daughter.  But not long after she gave birth she suffered from Post-Partum depression, and many people saw her as in a state of “hysteria”.  Later on she divorced her husband, and even sent her daughter to live with other family so that she could work on her career as a writer.  And this time period was also when she wrote one of her most popular writing pieces, “The Yellow Wallpaper”.  But many people thought that this writing piece was mainly inspired by her severe depression, as she says things like “I get unreasonably angry with John sometimes I’m sure I never used to be so sensitive. I think it is due to this nervous condition”(pg. 2) that hint at her condition.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Perkins_Gilman - Site gave me information about her early age and adulthood

 

 

 

http://www.biography.com/people/charlotte-perkins-gilman-9311669 - Gave me facts about Gilman

 

 

 

Gilman:  a woman's activist and a writer that wrote the popular short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper".