Her days are spent in bed after an unknown trauma forces her husband to prescribe her "rest cures" as an antidote. During this period, women were dehumanized in favor of an object that should be seen and not heard. Resistance in those days was futile, so whatever a man deemed worthy of what a woman did, she allowed. “If a high-ranking doctor and your own husband assure your friends and relatives that there is really nothing wrong with you, other than a temporary nervous breakdown – a slight hysterical tendency – what should you do? ? (Gilman 126) Although nothing is specifically identified in the story, this woman suffers from postpartum depression and delirium. There is no baby in the story, so we can assume a miscarriage or stillbirth. This early period of isolation is a key factor in helping the narrator truly identify with herself, as she begins to question the actions of the people around her who plead their merit through their absence. This neglect, this abuse helped shape the mindset she was forced to create due to the lack of communication between doctor and patient. Feminism comes into play when the patient's gender compromises the treatment. Due to the severity of this trauma, which remained extremely discreet, this woman was unable to properly mourn her loss..