Hi! I am having a hard time with a professor because he does not like my overly complicated writing style. Could someone in the know about these things please read my essay and tell my how you would make it simpler? Thanks so much

The Rest Cure: The Prescription of Conscription to Conformity
The collective feminist struggle for recognition as more than reproductive, servile beings is a theme that is often documented in literature. Many groundbreaking works have been penned by trailblazing women with enough courage to expose the stifling cultural climate within which they subsist. The Yellow Wallpaper, a short story written in the last decade of the nineteenth century by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, has remained popular with generations of female readers for its powerful context containing a timeless relevance. This tale explores the epidemic of neurasthenia plaguing an unhappy housewife and the contrived methods advocated in order to cure her disease. The concept of the perfectly subservient domestic woman is an idealistic archetype perpetuated by cultural convictions that little girls should be conscripted to a life encompassing seamlessly fostered training and ingrained acquiescence as she transitions from one household, that of her family, to the next, that of her husband. However, retaining one’s sanity is not easy under such prescribed restraints and in The Yellow Wallpaper, Gilman renders the disillusionment women suffer from such paternalistic inequality among the sexes.
This impressive short story involves a troubled new mother, the narrator, with a decided case of neurasthenia that can only be sufficiently cured by that which serves to throw her further into morbid depression. The affliction is described by her husband as “temporary nervous depression-a slight hysterical tendency” (Gilman 644). In conjunction with a prominent male doctor of the day, the husband and brother of the afflicted woman, also physicians, prescribe the rest cure which is typical of the Victorian period. An oppressive climate for women, the Victorian era proved worse for those with an acute awareness of the severe restriction imposed upon every facet of their lives. The domestic woman is handled much like a domesticated animal with those most prized having little spirit for disobedience as well as easy acceptance of authority. When conformity is not wholeheartedly accepted, the “rest cure” is the manner in which the wayward woman is to be made well. This so-called rest cure is fraught with chauvinistic ideals regarding the appropriate behavior a polite woman should preserve to display her impeccable training. With the purpose of becoming cured, the protagonist of The Yellow Wallpaper must be excluded from social gatherings and is therefore in seclusion inside a mysterious home with compelling wallpaper that serves to symbolize the incarcerating characteristics of societal oppression, tainting everything it comes near with stain and stench. This remedy also involves the prohibition of all writing, which troubles the disconcerted narrator as she describes the exhaustion she incurs from the illicit inscriptions she manages in secret. In one of these forbidden journal entries, the woman depicts her writing as her only salvation as she laments “I must say what I feel and think in some way – it is such a relief” (Gilman 650). She is aware of the fact that her true feelings are of the quality best kept unspoken.
The concept of wellness is one that can be discerned as dichotomous, as the path to good health prescribed by all of the characters in this short story, aside from the protagonist, is the rest cure. The author reveals much about the power of the majority by inserting a subservient female, Jennie, into the plot as an example of the eminence and inevitability of societal trappings on the oppressed female population. Jennie represents the epitome of the true woman archetype and she also serves as an illustration of the outcome the rest cure is meant to bring about. Jennie does not question her place in society; rather she embraces her domesticity as “a perfect and enthusiastic housekeeper.” Jennie is not troubled by the complex disillusion that plagues the narrator. Instead, Jennie is fully entrenched in her predestined role, even offering up advice that resembles that of the male physicians in this story. The narrator perceives Jennie as part of the opposition for her cooperation with the prescribed rest cure, but not in an overtly menacing way. The confined woman may also feel a separation from Jennie because of more deeply seeded issues, such as the proper display of domesticity Jennie always portrays or for her lack of will against the chauvinistic ideology she has adopted with such ease she is now an advocate.
The rest cure is intended to assert control by essentially ordering women to stop thinking so much. The principle momentum behind this policy is the insidious notion that if women would just let the men in their lives take care of every machination of existence and cease worrying their pretty little heads, this hysteria would fade into distant memory and allow them to excel in keeping a clean and efficient home and procreating as is projected. The life of the narrator is meticulously handled by John, her husband and she describes the extent by explaining “I have a schedule prescription for each hour in the day; he takes all care from me” (Gilman 645). Her husband is not taking care of her, but from her. The restrained woman is so confined by John, she writes that he “hardly lets me stir without special direction” (Gilman 645). The cure is meant to extinguish any hope of self-determination; it is a method of breaking the spirit.
As its name suggests, the rest cure prescribes ample amounts of sleep and this serves to insight further annoyance in the protagonist. In the beginning, sleep eludes her during these mandatory rest periods and she asserts these naps are forcing her to be deceptive by not telling “them” she is awake (Gilman 653). Later, the narrator expresses that her required rest during the day has opened up a new world for her at night as she spends countless hours examining the wallpaper and the woman confined in its pattern. In the night, the protagonist is alert and contemplating the ordeal of her daily life and becoming more curious about the creeping woman, even debating whether it may be multitudes of creeping women locked in the decoration. The observance of the restrained daytime behavior of the creeping woman and its resemblance to her own serve to send the narrator into a mental break from reality that could be perceived simultaneously as both a breakthrough and a breakdown. At this climactic moment, the creeping woman in the paper and the narrator become one and the result is anything but the epitome of true womanhood that is intended when employing the rest cure. In the end the narrator has become defiant as she exclaims “I’ve got out at last” (Gilman 657). She even presses the issue by telling John “I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back” (Gilman 657). The rest cure has catalyzed an impressive change in the demeanor of the protagonist by the end of The Yellow Wallpaper. However, it is certainly not the one her husband had hoped for and this is evident as he faints at the sight of his wife creeping along the wall of their bedroom.
Had the cure been more successful by John’s standards, a cured wife would emerge from the bedroom looking lovely in the appropriately modest attire required of a new wife and mother. The epitome of true womanhood and domestic bliss, the narrator would care little for anything not concerning the welfare of her almighty husband and child. The woman that would be considered a success upon completion of the rest cure would be all that society expects of her all the time. This would be especially true concerning the rebellious writing that could lead a delicate female mind astray. The narrator attests to the social contempt for female’s writing by asserting that Jennie “thinks it is the writing itself which made me sick” (Gilman 648).
The modern equivalent of wellness could be described as having two distinct archetypes. Although more than a hundred years has passed since the first publication of The Yellow Wallpaper, the cultural climate has not completely transformed in the United States and in some locations not at all. There are many that still espouse the ideology that a woman’s place is in the home. Fortunately, women today possess established rights and have more freedom to assert their own determination, but the old beliefs still lurk beneath the shallow surface. The present populace has assumed a more relaxed stand on the issue of divorce, offering a contemporary female the opportunity to separate herself from an unhappy relationship with the chance at a fresh start. Medication is another alternative that the modern woman might pursue following the birth of a child and the onset of postpartum depression. Counseling, either couple’s or personal, would be an option to be considered. The ability for modern women to decide their future to a greater extant is what sets them apart from the preceding generations, but the battle is far from over.
The clear path to freedom for women to speak out against gender restrictions and social oppression has been paved by the pioneering efforts of courageous women with the ability to express the demand for equality among the sexes in timeless prose. Charlotte Perkins Gilman is just such a woman with a body of work dedicated to recognizing the power that exists within the female frame. The Yellow Wallpaper is an important piece among her literary offerings as it serves to elucidate the prison-like quality of a repressed life corrupted by gender roles and expectations of polite society.

The sense of your essay gets lost among all the $50 words. What academic level are you at, and for which course is this?

I am a junior working on my bachelor's in english.

I am a junior working on my bachelor's in english.
And you wrote the essay all by yourself, with no help from anyone or any online site?

I had no help, but I am an honors student so I strive to produce an educated sounding paper.

Hi! I am having a hard time with a professor because he does not like my overly complicated writing style. could someone in the know about these things please read my essay and tell my how you would make it simpler?
I read it to my husband, and we agree it needs to come down a notch or two. The reader gets lost in the verbiage and is then hard-pressed to figure out what the heck you are saying. If you wrote this, you should have no trouble "dumbing it down" a bit to make it more accessible. Yes, I could do it for you, but I already have a bachelor's in English and a master's in something else. I've paid my dues. Now it's your turn. Make your prof ecstatic.

I had no help, but I am an honors student so I strive to produce an educated sounding paper.
An "educated-sounding paper" is far more than using fancy nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, plus lots of dependent clauses hanging onto the independent ones. A quality essay is clear and concise and very readable, and one that the reader will say at the end, "Wow!" We're not there yet.

OK I am working on getting my views across in a simpler way. I just wanted additional feedback on its ability to be understood, not expecting anyone to fix it for me. Just wanted a second opinion. So, thanks

I am revising now so do you think you might check back before tomorrow (turn in date) to check out the new version?

I read it ,and I thought it was very well put together. I might be a little biased here because I edit a local literary magazine where I live.
I think someone working for a bachelor's degree in english should not dumb down a good paper. It all depends on who your intended audience is, and if your professor can't handle that essay, then I would take everything he says with a grain of salt.

Jeremy

I am revising now so do you think you might check back before tomorrow (turn in date) to check out the new version?
I'll be here for at least another hour.

I read it ,and I thought it was very well put together. I might be a little biased here because I edit a local literary magazine where I live.
I think someone working for a bachelor's degree in english should not dumb down a good paper. It all depends on who your intended audience is, and if your professor can't handle that essay, then I would take everything he says with a grain of salt.

jeremy
My "dumb down" comment was in quotes. I also noted that the ideas in the essay should be accessible and understandable to the reader without $50 words being tossed around to impress.

Thanks Jeremy. I have always received good feedback on my papers and with the exception of two B's, have gotten all A's on the others. So this has been a bit of an assault, but I have to get a good grade so I am, therefore, dumbing it down a bit.

This is what I have so far.

The Rest Cure: The Prescription of Conscription to Conformity
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a short story that offers evidence of the concept of womanhood in the late nineteenth century as well as serving as an example of the response given this topic in American fiction. Gilman's narrative explores the nature of womanhood in a patriarchal society from the first person point of view of a female writer of the era. Women's struggle for self determination in the midst of societal oppression is an often written about topic. The Yellow Wallpaper examines this struggle by offering an example of one woman's suffering as she attempts to retain sanity under extreme paternalistic circumstances of mental and physical suppression. As an American author of the late nineteenth century, Gilman manages the subject matter with ease, offering insight into the notion of true womanhood. She speaks of her own cultural climate through the voice of a woman that is challenged by the same imposition of male authority, giving the story a personal quality.
A woman in the late nineteenth century was subjected to a set of gender specific guidelines that were imposed in order to produce obedient, domestic goddesses. The roles of women included daughter, sister, wife and mother. Woman as an individual of her own direction was a foreign concept. A woman's transition from daughter and sister to wife and mother was intended to be seamless as a woman left the home of her father for that of her husband. When this was not the case and a woman became troubled by the strict conformity of her life, she was diagnosed with the disease of neurasthenia. The rest cure, the prescription given for this ailment, was a healthy dose of more patriarchal oppression.

My suggestions are in bold (note hyphen additions):

The Rest Cure: The Prescription of Conscription to Conformity

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a short story that offers evidence of the concept of womanhood in the late nineteenth century and that also serves as an example of the response given this topic in American fiction. Gilman's narrative explores the nature of womanhood in a patriarchal society from the first-person point of view of a female writer of the era. Women's struggle for self determination in the midst of societal oppression is an often-written-about topic. "The Yellow Wallpaper" examines this struggle by offering an example of one woman's suffering as she attempts to retain sanity while mentally and physically oppressed under extreme paternalistic circumstances. As an American author of the late nineteenth century, Gilman manages the subject matter with ease, offering insight into the notion of true womanhood. She gives the story a personal quality by speaking of her own cultural climate through the voice of a woman who is challenged by the same imposition of male authority.

A woman in the late nineteenth century was subjected to a set of gender-specific guidelines that were imposed in order to produce obedient, domestic goddesses. The roles of women included daughter, sister, wife and mother. Woman as an individual of her own direction was a foreign concept. A woman's transition from daughter and sister to wife and mother was intended to be seamless as a woman left the home of her father for that of her husband. When this was not the case and a woman became troubled by the strict conformity of her life, she was diagnosed with the disease of neurasthenia. The rest cure, the prescription given for this ailment, was a healthy dose of more patriarchal oppression.

OK thanks for your help. Did you think this was simpler and easier to follow my points?

ok thanks for your help. did you think this was simpler and easier to follow my points?
Yes, it's better.

I appreciate your time and the feedback.

i appreciate your time and the feedback.
Send me one more chunk? I have to go to bed soon.

I have put in your changes in this one. The title is in italics in word, just doesn't show here.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a short story that offers evidence of the concept of womanhood in the late nineteenth century that also serves as an example of the response given this topic in American fiction. Gilman's story is a narrative within a narrative that explores the nature of womanhood in a patriarchal society from the first person point of view of a female writer of the era. Women's struggle for self determination in the midst of societal oppression is an often written about topic. Gilman has tackled this issue as well as the perception of feminine writing in her era. The Yellow Wallpaper examines one woman's suffering as she attempts to retain sanity while mentally and physically oppressed under extreme paternalistic circumstances. As an American author of the late nineteenth century, Gilman manages the subject matter with ease, offering insight into the notion of true womanhood. She gives the story a personal quality by speaking of her own cultural climate through the voice of a woman who is challenged by the same imposition of male authority.
A woman in the late nineteenth century was subjected to a set of gender specific guidelines imposed in order to produce obedient, domestic goddesses. The roles of women included daughter, sister, wife and mother. Woman as an individual of her own direction was a foreign concept. A woman's transition from daughter and sister to wife and mother was intended to be seamless as a woman left the home of her father for that of her husband. When this was not the case and a woman became troubled by the strict conformity of her life, she was diagnosed with the disease of neurasthenia. The rest cure, the prescription given for this ailment, was a healthy dose of more patriarchal oppression.
The unnamed narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper, a writer of the Victorian period, has been placed on the restrictive rest cure following the birth of her first child. The protagonist's husband describes her affliction as “temporary nervous depression-a slight hysterical tendency” (Gilman 644). Three male doctors concur on the prescription of the rest cure, including the woman's husband and brother. The foundation of the rest cure is fraught with sexist ideals that serve to further the goal of servility and submission in women.

I have put in your changes in this one. the title is in italics in word, just doesn't show here.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a short story that offers evidence of the concept of womanhood in the late nineteenth century that also serves as an example of the response given this topic in American fiction. Gilman’s story is a narrative within a narrative that explores the nature of womanhood in a patriarchal society from the first person point of view of a female writer of the era. Women’s struggle for self determination in the midst of societal oppression is an often written about topic. Gilman has tackled this issue as well as the perception of feminine writing in her era. The Yellow Wallpaper examines one woman’s suffering as she attempts to retain sanity while mentally and physically oppressed under extreme paternalistic circumstances. As an American author of the late nineteenth century, Gilman manages the subject matter with ease, offering insight into the notion of true womanhood. She gives the story a personal quality by speaking of her own cultural climate through the voice of a woman who is challenged by the same imposition of male authority.
A woman in the late nineteenth century was subjected to a set of gender specific guidelines imposed in order to produce obedient, domestic goddesses. The roles of women included daughter, sister, wife and mother. Woman as an individual of her own direction was a foreign concept. A woman’s transition from daughter and sister to wife and mother was intended to be seamless as a woman left the home of her father for that of her husband. When this was not the case and a woman became troubled by the strict conformity of her life, she was diagnosed with the disease of neurasthenia. The rest cure, the prescription given for this ailment, was a healthy dose of more patriarchal oppression.
The unnamed narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper, a writer of the Victorian period, has been placed on the restrictive rest cure following the birth of her first child. The protagonist’s husband describes her affliction as “temporary nervous depression-a slight hysterical tendency” (Gilman 644). Three male doctors concur on the prescription of the rest cure, including the woman’s husband and brother. The foundation of the rest cure is fraught with sexist ideals that serve to further the goal of servility and submission in women.
The ss title should be in quotes. Where are the hyphens in the adjectives?

Three male doctors, including the woman’s husband and brother, concur on the prescription of the rest cure.

You are switching tenses, from past to present.

OK will change title. And could you tell me where you notice I am messing up with the tense? Hyphens in the adjectives? I am a mess!

I fixed it -- tenses are okay --

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a short story that offers evidence of the concept of womanhood in the late nineteenth century that also serves as an example of the response given this topic in American fiction. Gilman’s story is a narrative within a narrative that explores the nature of womanhood in a patriarchal society from the first-person point of view of a female writer of the era. Women’s struggle for self determination in the midst of societal oppression is an often-written-about topic. Gilman has tackled this issue as well as the perception of feminine writing in her era. "The Yellow Wallpaper" examines one woman’s suffering as she attempts to retain sanity while mentally and physically oppressed under extreme paternalistic circumstances. As an American author of the late nineteenth century, Gilman manages the subject matter with ease, offering insight into the notion of true womanhood. She gives the story a personal quality by speaking of her own cultural climate through the voice of a woman who is challenged by the same imposition of male authority.

A woman in the late nineteenth century was subjected to a set of gender specific guidelines imposed in order to produce obedient, domestic goddesses. The roles of women included daughter, sister, wife and mother. Woman as an individual of her own direction was a foreign concept. A woman’s transition from daughter and sister to wife and mother was intended to be seamless as a woman left the home of her father for that of her husband. When this was not the case and a woman became troubled by the strict conformity of her life, she was diagnosed with the disease of neurasthenia. The rest cure, the prescription given for this ailment, was a healthy dose of more patriarchal oppression.

The unnamed narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper," a writer of the Victorian period, has been placed on the restrictive rest cure following the birth of her first child. The protagonist’s husband describes her affliction as “temporary nervous depression-a slight hysterical tendency” (Gilman 644). Three male doctors concur on the prescription of the rest cure, including the woman’s husband and brother. The foundation of the rest cure is fraught with sexist ideals that serve to further the goal of servility and submission in women.

You are so nice. Thank you so much. I am going to try and use your ideas and write a good paper.

you are so nice. thank you so much. I am going to try and use your ideas and write a good paper.
You seem to have the hang of it. I think the prof will be pleased. I have to go to bed now, so good luck and don't stay up all night!

Hi Wondergirl! Have finished my paper with the exception of the conclusion and if you were still checking in today, I thought maybe you could give it one last look? Thanks again!

Hi Wondergirl! Have finished my paper with the exception of the conclusion and if you were still checking in today, I thought maybe you could give it one last look? Thanks again!!
I'm here for a short time.

K still fine tuning but this is where I am currently.

The Rest Cure: The Prescription of Conscription to Conformity
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a short story that offers evidence of the concept of womanhood in the late nineteenth century that also serves as an example of the response given this topic in American fiction. Gilman's story is a narrative within a narrative that explores the nature of womanhood in a patriarchal society from the first person point of view of a female writer of the era. Women's struggle for self determination in the midst of societal oppression is an often written about topic. Gilman has tackled this issue as well as the perception of feminine writing in her era. The Yellow Wallpaper examines one woman's suffering as she attempts to retain sanity while mentally and physically oppressed under extreme paternalistic circumstances. As an American author of the late nineteenth century, Gilman manages the subject matter with ease, offering insight into the notion of true womanhood. She gives the story a personal quality by speaking of her own cultural climate through the voice of a woman who is challenged by the same imposition of male authority.
A woman in the late nineteenth century was subjected to a set of gender specific guidelines imposed in order to produce obedient, domestic goddesses. The roles of women included daughter, sister, wife and mother. Woman as an individual of her own direction was a foreign concept. A woman's transition from daughter and sister to wife and mother was intended to be seamless as a woman left the home of her father for that of her husband. When this was not the case and a woman became troubled by the strict conformity of her life, she was diagnosed with the disease of neurasthenia. The rest cure, the prescription given for this ailment, was a healthy dose of more patriarchal oppression.
The unnamed narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper, a writer of the Victorian period, has been placed on the restrictive rest cure following the birth of her first child. The protagonist's husband describes her affliction as “temporary nervous depression-a slight hysterical tendency� (Gilman 644). Three male doctors concur on the prescription of the rest cure, including the woman's husband and brother. The foundation of the rest cure is fraught with sexist ideals that serve to further the goal of servility and submission in women. The narrator's husband, John, moves the family to a secluded home “three miles from the village� with the desire of stopping her involvement in social gatherings (Gilman 645). It is at this new residence that the narrator first encounters the yellow wallpaper which becomes the fixation of her attention later in the story. The narrator writes that she “never saw a worse paper� in her life and describes the color as “repellent, almost revolting� (Gilman 646). In the beginning, John plans to change the wallpaper. However, as it becomes clear that it is a nuisance to his wife, John decides to leave it as an obstacle for her to overcome. “He said that I was letting it get the better of me, and that nothing was worse for a nervous patient than to give way to such fancies� (Gilman 647). The woman writes that her husband “laughs� at her when the issue of the wallpaper comes up (Gilman 647). John sees his wife as a dreamer with more imagination than a woman should be allowed to have. This is evidenced as the protagonist explains that John has “cautioned me not to give way to fancy in the least� (Gilman 647). She goes on to add that John “says that with my imaginative power and habit of story-telling, a nervous weakness like mine is sure to lead to all manner of excited fancies� (Gilman 647). He encourages her to stop this incessant fanaticizing and use “good sense and check the tendency� (Gilman 647). With the move to the country, John expects to diminish the stimulus that drives her creative side. The narrator immediately asserts that if she could only express herself in her writing, there would be relief from “the press of ideas� (Gilman 647).
Writing, which the woman describes as “my work,� is a central theme of The Yellow Wallpaper and it is through her writing that the protagonist is telling her story to the reader (Gilman 647). The prohibition of writing is part of the rest cure prescription. Therefore, the narrator must tell her story in secret. In one of her entries, she depicts her writing as her only salvation when she laments “I must say what I feel and think in some way – it is such a relief� (Gilman 650). The patriarchal Victorian Age did not produce many career women. Female American fiction writers of the late nineteenth century battled constant criticism for their ideas and found it difficult to become as widely published as their male counterparts. Therefore, John does not see his wife's writing as “work� (Gilman 647). John wishes his wife to be cured of the writing and she wishes to write to be cured. The concept of wellness can be discerned as dichotomous, as the path to good health espoused by the husband is the opposite of the one advocated by the narrator.
The rest cure is intended to assert control by essentially ordering women to stop thinking so much. The life of the narrator is meticulously handled by John, her husband, and she describes the extent by explaining “I have a schedule prescription for each hour in the day; he takes all care from me� (Gilman 645). Her husband is not taking care of her, but “from� her. John even tells his wife to stop thinking about her “condition,� which leads her to “feel bad� (Gilman 645). The restrained woman is so confined by John, she writes that he “hardly lets me stir without special direction� (Gilman 645). The cure is meant to extinguish any hope of self-determination; it is a method of breaking the spirit.
The paternalistic demands of the rest cure are evidenced by its very name. The prescribed rest that is imposed upon the protagonist, in cooperation with her inability to write at will, bring the woman's focus to the yellow wallpaper she despises.
In the beginning, sleep eludes the woman during her mandatory rest periods. She asserts these naps are forcing her to be deceptive by not telling “them� she is awake (Gilman 653). Later, the narrator expresses that her required rest during the day has opened up a new world for her at night as she spends countless hours examining the wallpaper and the woman she eventually finds confined in its pattern. “I didn't realize for a long time what the thing was that showed behind, that dim sub-pattern, but now I am quite sure it is a woman� (Gilman 652). In the night, the protagonist is alert and contemplating the ordeal of her daily life and becoming more curious about the “creeping woman,� even asserting “sometimes I think there are a great many women behind� (Gilman 652). The narrator observes the restrained daytime behavior of the creeping woman as similar to her own. She believes the “woman gets out in the daytime� because she sees her through the windows �creeping up and down� (Gilman 655). The narrator writes of her own method for creeping, “I always lock the doors when I creep by daylight� (Gilman 655). The narrator's fascination with the yellow wallpaper brings a about a sort of kindred relationship to fruition between her and the creeping woman. On her last night in the house, the two work toward getting the paper from the wall. “I got up and ran to help her. I pulled and she shook. I shook and she pulled, and before morning we had peeled off yards of that paper� (Gilman 656). On the morning she is meant to leave, the narrator and the creeping woman have converged into one entity. This is first evidenced by the narrator wondering if all the creeping women “came out of that wallpaper� as she did (Gilman 657). She goes on to add that she “shall have to get back behind the pattern when it comes night, and that is hard� (Gilman 657). The narrator is happy with her new freedom to “creep around� her great room as she pleases, not wishing to go outside (Gilman 657). The result of these two women coming together is anything but the epitome of true womanhood that is intended when employing the rest cure. There is new sense of defiance in the narrator as she exclaims “I've got out at last� (Gilman 657). She even presses the issue by telling John “I've pulled off most of the paper, so you can't put me back� (Gilman 657). When John proclaims “For God's sake, what are you doing,� the protagonist writes that “she kept on creeping just the same,� with only an over the shoulder look (Gilman 657). The rest cure has catalyzed an impressive change in the demeanor of the protagonist by the end of The Yellow Wallpaper. However, it is certainly not the one her husband had hoped for and this is evident as he faints at the sight of his wife creeping along the wall of their bedroom. The narrator continues on her path, mentioning that she now must “creep over him every time� (Gilman 657). The climactic coalescence of the creeping woman in the yellow wallpaper with the narrator can be defined as both a breakdown and a breakthrough.
Had the cure been more successful by John's standards, a cured wife would emerge from the bedroom looking lovely in the appropriately modest attire required of a new wife and mother. The epitome of true womanhood and domestic bliss, the narrator would care little for anything not concerning the welfare of her almighty husband and child. The woman that would be considered a success upon completion of the rest cure would be all that society expects of her all the time. This would be especially true concerning the rebellious writing that could lead a delicate female mind astray. The narrator attests to the social contempt for female's writing by asserting that Jennie “thinks it is the writing itself which made me sick� (Gilman 648). The author reveals much about the power of the majority by inserting a subservient female, Jennie, into the plot as an example of the power of a patriarchal society over the oppressed female population. Jennie represents the epitome of the true womanhood and serves as an illustration of the outcome the rest cure is meant to bring about. Jennie does not question her place in society; rather she embraces her domesticity as “a perfect and enthusiastic housekeeper� (Gilman 648). Jennie is not troubled by the complex disillusion that plagues the narrator. Instead, Jennie is fully entrenched in her predestined role.

Not sure what these weird problems are that are showing up in my text. Let me try again.

The Rest Cure: The Prescription of Conscription to Conformity
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a short story that offers evidence of the concept of womanhood in the late nineteenth century that also serves as an example of the response given this topic in American fiction. Gilman's story is a narrative within a narrative that explores the nature of womanhood in a patriarchal society from the first person point of view of a female writer of the era. Women's struggle for self determination in the midst of societal oppression is an often written about topic. Gilman has tackled this issue as well as the perception of feminine writing in her era. The Yellow Wallpaper examines one woman's suffering as she attempts to retain sanity while mentally and physically oppressed under extreme paternalistic circumstances. As an American author of the late nineteenth century, Gilman manages the subject matter with ease, offering insight into the notion of true womanhood. She gives the story a personal quality by speaking of her own cultural climate through the voice of a woman who is challenged by the same imposition of male authority.
A woman in the late nineteenth century was subjected to a set of gender specific guidelines imposed in order to produce obedient, domestic goddesses. The roles of women included daughter, sister, wife and mother. Woman as an individual of her own direction was a foreign concept. A woman's transition from daughter and sister to wife and mother was intended to be seamless as a woman left the home of her father for that of her husband. When this was not the case and a woman became troubled by the strict conformity of her life, she was diagnosed with the disease of neurasthenia. The rest cure, the prescription given for this ailment, was a healthy dose of more patriarchal oppression.
The unnamed narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper, a writer of the Victorian period, has been placed on the restrictive rest cure following the birth of her first child. The protagonist's husband describes her affliction as “temporary nervous depression-a slight hysterical tendency” (Gilman 644). Three male doctors concur on the prescription of the rest cure, including the woman's husband and brother. The foundation of the rest cure is fraught with sexist ideals that serve to further the goal of servility and submission in women. The narrator's husband, John, moves the family to a secluded home “three miles from the village” with the desire of stopping her involvement in social gatherings (Gilman 645). It is at this new residence that the narrator first encounters the yellow wallpaper which becomes the fixation of her attention later in the story. The narrator writes that she “never saw a worse paper” in her life and describes the color as “repellent, almost revolting” (Gilman 646). In the beginning, John plans to change the wallpaper. However, as it becomes clear that it is a nuisance to his wife, John decides to leave it as an obstacle for her to overcome. “He said that I was letting it get the better of me, and that nothing was worse for a nervous patient than to give way to such fancies” (Gilman 647). The woman writes that her husband “laughs” at her when the issue of the wallpaper comes up (Gilman 647). John sees his wife as a dreamer with more imagination than a woman should be allowed to have. This is evidenced as the protagonist explains that John has “cautioned me not to give way to fancy in the least” (Gilman 647). She goes on to add that John “says that with my imaginative power and habit of story-telling, a nervous weakness like mine is sure to lead to all manner of excited fancies” (Gilman 647). He encourages her to stop this incessant fanaticizing and use “good sense and check the tendency” (Gilman 647). With the move to the country, John expects to diminish the stimulus that drives her creative side. The narrator immediately asserts that if she could only express herself in her writing, there would be relief from “the press of ideas” (Gilman 647).
Writing, which the woman describes as “my work,” is a central theme of The Yellow Wallpaper and it is through her writing that the protagonist is telling her story to the reader (Gilman 647). The prohibition of writing is part of the rest cure prescription. Therefore, the narrator must tell her story in secret. In one of her entries, she depicts her writing as her only salvation when she laments “I must say what I feel and think in some way – it is such a relief” (Gilman 650). The patriarchal Victorian Age did not produce many career women. Female American fiction writers of the late nineteenth century battled constant criticism for their ideas and found it difficult to become as widely published as their male counterparts. Therefore, John does not see his wife's writing as “work” (Gilman 647). John wishes his wife to be cured of the writing and she wishes to write to be cured. The concept of wellness can be discerned as dichotomous, as the path to good health espoused by the husband is the opposite of the one advocated by the narrator.
The rest cure is intended to assert control by essentially ordering women to stop thinking so much. The life of the narrator is meticulously handled by John, her husband, and she describes the extent by explaining “I have a schedule prescription for each hour in the day; he takes all care from me” (Gilman 645). Her husband is not taking care of her, but “from” her. John even tells his wife to stop thinking about her “condition,” which leads her to “feel bad” (Gilman 645). The restrained woman is so confined by John, she writes that he “hardly lets me stir without special direction” (Gilman 645). The cure is meant to extinguish any hope of self-determination; it is a method of breaking the spirit.
The paternalistic demands of the rest cure are evidenced by its very name. The prescribed rest that is imposed upon the protagonist, in cooperation with her inability to write at will, bring the woman's focus to the yellow wallpaper she despises.
In the beginning, sleep eludes the woman during her mandatory rest periods. She asserts these naps are forcing her to be deceptive by not telling “them” she is awake (Gilman 653). Later, the narrator expresses that her required rest during the day has opened up a new world for her at night as she spends countless hours examining the wallpaper and the woman she eventually finds confined in its pattern. “I didn't realize for a long time what the thing was that showed behind, that dim sub-pattern, but now I am quite sure it is a woman” (Gilman 652). In the night, the protagonist is alert and contemplating the ordeal of her daily life and becoming more curious about the “creeping woman,” even asserting “sometimes I think there are a great many women behind” (Gilman 652). The narrator observes the restrained daytime behavior of the creeping woman as similar to her own. She believes the “woman gets out in the daytime” because she sees her through the windows ”creeping up and down” (Gilman 655). The narrator writes of her own method for creeping, “I always lock the doors when I creep by daylight” (Gilman 655). The narrator's fascination with the yellow wallpaper brings a about a sort of kindred relationship to fruition between her and the creeping woman. On her last night in the house, the two work toward getting the paper from the wall. “I got up and ran to help her. I pulled and she shook. I shook and she pulled, and before morning we had peeled off yards of that paper” (Gilman 656). On the morning she is meant to leave, the narrator and the creeping woman have converged into one entity. This is first evidenced by the narrator wondering if all the creeping women “came out of that wallpaper” as she did (Gilman 657). She goes on to add that she “shall have to get back behind the pattern when it comes night, and that is hard” (Gilman 657). The narrator is happy with her new freedom to “creep around” her great room as she pleases, not wishing to go outside (Gilman 657). The result of these two women coming together is anything but the epitome of true womanhood that is intended when employing the rest cure. There is new sense of defiance in the narrator as she exclaims “I've got out at last” (Gilman 657). She even presses the issue by telling John “I've pulled off most of the paper, so you can't put me back” (Gilman 657). When John proclaims “For God's sake, what are you doing,” the protagonist writes that “she kept on creeping just the same,” with only an over the shoulder look (Gilman 657). The rest cure has catalyzed an impressive change in the demeanor of the protagonist by the end of The Yellow Wallpaper. However, it is certainly not the one her husband had hoped for and this is evident as he faints at the sight of his wife creeping along the wall of their bedroom. The narrator continues on her path, mentioning that she now must “creep over him every time” (Gilman 657). The climactic coalescence of the creeping woman in the yellow wallpaper with the narrator can be defined as both a breakdown and a breakthrough.
Had the cure been more successful by John's standards, a cured wife would emerge from the bedroom looking lovely in the appropriately modest attire required of a new wife and mother. The epitome of true womanhood and domestic bliss, the narrator would care little for anything not concerning the welfare of her almighty husband and child. The woman that would be considered a success upon completion of the rest cure would be all that society expects of her all the time. This would be especially true concerning the rebellious writing that could lead a delicate female mind astray. The narrator attests to the social contempt for female's writing by asserting that Jennie “thinks it is the writing itself which made me sick” (Gilman 648). The author reveals much about the power of the majority by inserting a subservient female, Jennie, into the plot as an example of the power of a patriarchal society over the oppressed female population. Jennie represents the epitome of the true womanhood and serves as an illustration of the outcome the rest cure is meant to bring about. Jennie does not question her place in society; rather she embraces her domesticity as “a perfect and enthusiastic housekeeper” (Gilman 648). Jennie is not troubled by the complex disillusion that plagues the narrator. Instead, Jennie is fully entrenched in her predestined role.

k still fine tuning but this is where I am currently.
Much, much better! Even fun to read! Excellent! Now, be sure it's double-spaced, put quote marks around the ss title every time you mention it, add the hyphens I had put into some of your adjectives, and indent paragraph first lines.

Thank you so, so much. Your help has been much appreciated! Will put in all the last minute finishes along with a strong conclusion and that's a wrap.

thank you so, so much. Your help has been much appreciated!! Will put in all the last minute finishes along with a strong conclusion and that's a wrap.
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Wondergirl you are great! Thanks for your help. I got an A!! =)

Wondergirl you are great!! Thanks for your help. I got an A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =)
Terrific!! Any comments in the margins or at the end?? And how did you conclude it?

Would be the world better place if there were no distinct gender roles?