This was my first college essay and the first essay for this class.

Topic: “Summarize first what Freud says in Lecture I about the attitude of most doctors towards hysterical patients. Then summarize what he says about Breuer’s attitude towards these patients. Do you think “The Yellow Wallpaper” illustrates Freud’s criticism of most doctors? Support your view with examples from the story.

My adventure for this paper:

Free Write about our current challenges writing the Summary and Response Essay:

Free Write 09/13/21

My biggest weakness for this draft is making sure the overall flow of my essay is smooth. Often I feel like my sentences get too wordy or choppy that it messes up the effectiveness of my argument. Another weakness I feel I have when writing this draft is making sure my second paragraph supports my overall thesis statement. I feel like the intention is there but the overall execution of the paragraph doesn’t support my thesis statement. However, for the most part, my essay does build a connection between The Yellow Wallpaper and Freud’s perspective on doctors. Furthermore, my essay does also build a connection between Beuer’s different perspective on hysteria and between The Yellow Wallpaper and Freud’s speech. However, the most worrying issue I’m facing is the effectiveness of my second body paragraph, my initial plan seem to be very effective but the overall result left me with a bit of worry. I feel the second body paragraph can be a bit better and that is maybe off-topic however, I’m not sure what parts I should add or take out or if I should just completely write a new body paragraph.

First paragraph draft of the Summary and Response Essay:

Freud in “Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis” implies that doctors are completely clueless on the seriousness of mental illnesses, especially hysteria. Freud describes his perspective to the audience by explaining doctors deemed hysteria as an illness their patients can easily “get over.” Freud makes his point of view on doctors evident to his audience by stating, “They consider that there is then no risk to life but that a return to health – even a complete one – is probable (2200),” evidently Freud is disappointed on how “carless” doctors approach patients who are suffering from hysteria. This connects to Gillman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” because the narrator’s frequent doctor visits always result in the narrator being told by doctors and her loved ones that her condition is unimportant “If a physician of high standing, and one’s husband, assures friends and relatives that there is nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency – what is one to do? My brother is also a physician, and also of high standing, and he says the same thing.” This indicates the narrator’s condition is always being degraded by doctors. However, Breuer’s mindset is the complete opposite. Breuer even without a true solution to hysteria, always remains compassionate and sympathetic for his patients. Freud explains to the audience that “Dr. Breuer’s attitude towards his patient deserved no such reproach. He gave her both sympathy and interest, even though, to begin with, he did not know how to help her (2202).” Overall, Freud classifies doctors to be oblivious when dealing with hysteria, and this is seen in Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” by the lack of attention and support the main character faces when trying to find a solution to her condition. However, Breuer completely breaks this stigma by being compassionate and determined to always be there for his patients who suffer from hysteria. 

Second paragraph draft of the Summary and Response Essay:

Freud continues to support his disappointing perspective on doctors by calling out the lack of knowledge doctors have on mental illnesses, including hysteria. Freud explains to his audience, “But all his knowledge – his training in anatomy, in physiology and pathology – leaves him in the lurch when he is confronted by the details of hysterical phenomena. He cannot understand hysteria, and in the face of it he is himself a layman”(Freud 2001). Freud indicates that doctors are oblivious to the horrors that can occur in a patient’s mind, which ultimately leads doctors to consider mental illnesses, including hysteria, as “silly.” This connects to Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” because due to the lack of seriousness the narrator receives from doctors about her mental condition, the narrator ends up with no answers and solutions to her condition. The narrator’s husband, a doctor, illustrates Freud’s perspective in “The Yellow Wallpaper” by constantly ignoring the narrator’s true condition. The narrator’s husband classifies the narrator’s condition as insignificant since he cannot fully understand it as stated in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” “There is nothing so dangerous, so fascinating, to a temperament like yours. It is a false and foolish fancy. Can you not trust me as a physician when I tell you so? (Gilman 652)” This illustrates Freud’s perspective because the narrator’s husband becomes oblivious and ignorant to the narrator’s condition, which causes the narrator’s husband to consider the narrator’s condition as “foolish” (Gilman 652), which is similar to what doctors did with their patients who suffered from a mental illness, including hysteria. Unlike the narrator from “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Breuer carefully treated his patients. Freud’s “Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis” states, “Soon, moreover, his benevolent scrutiny showed him the means of bringing her the first installment of help”(Berur 2001). This shows how Bruer’s innovative approach with his hysterical patients allowed Bruer to understand how he can create effective solutions against hysteria. Overall, Freud classifies doctors as ignorant to the sense that if doctors cannot understand a patient’s mental condition then it must be imaginary, which connects to “The Yellow Wallpaper” by the serval times the narrator’s husband calls her condition made up. 

Final Draft of the Summary Response Essay

Carlos Aucacama

Professor: Alyssa Yankwitt and Professor Von Uhl

Class: FIQWS 10108 (HA8), FIQWS 10008 (HA8)

September 21, 2021

The Once Carless Doctors

Ignorant. Closed-Minded. Blind. Are phrases that describe Freud’s point of view of most doctors during his time. Freud in his “Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis” speech claims doctors consider mental illnesses, including hysteria, as non-existent; it was a case where if doctors couldn’t see any physical pain, then nothing was wrong with their patient. However, Bruer’s attitude was the opposite, Bruer’s attitude was revolutionary. Bruer gave all his patients full attention, he constantly looked for unexplored solutions to help improve his patient’s mental condition. However, In Charlotte Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the narrator battles a mental illness, unlike Breuer’s patients who were helped, the doctors, including the narrator’s husband, made the narrator feel delusional and degraded her condition. Freud’s classification of doctors as “careless” and “clueless” towards mental illnesses, especially hysteria, is highly illustrated In Charlotte Gillman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” when doctors fail to believe the narrator’s condition is legitimate.

In Freud’s speech, “Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis,” Freud implies that doctors are completely clueless on the seriousness of mental illnesses, especially hysteria. Freud describes that doctors deem hysteria as an illness their patients can easily “get over.” Freud makes his perspective on doctors evident to his audience by stating, “They consider that there is then no risk to life but that a return to health – even a complete one – is probable” (Freud 2200). This shows how doctors care so little that they automatically assume that hysteria causes no issues to an individual’s health. These actions are careless because doctors are willing to put their pride and ego ahead of their patient’s health due to doctors’ lack of willingness to learn how important hysteria truly is. This connects to Gillman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” because in the narrator’s quest to improve her condition, the narrator is told by doctors and her loved ones, her condition is unimportant. For instance, in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” it states, “If a physician of high standing, and one’s husband, assures friends and relatives that there is nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency – what is one to do? My brother is also a physician, and also of high standing, and he says the same thing”(Gilman 648). This proves how Freud’s perspective is illustrated in “The Yellow Wallpaper” because doctors continue to show their lack of willpower to move aside their ego and superiority by not listening to the narrator’s mental hardships. However, Breuer’s mindset is the complete opposite. Breuer always remains sympathetic towards his hysterical patients. Freud explains to his audience, “Dr. Breuer’s attitude towards his patient deserved no such reproach. He gave her both sympathy and interest, even though, to begin with, he did not know how to help her” (Freud 2202). Bruer’s compassionate approach with his hysterical patients is admirable because Bruer is “thinking outside of the box” which helps develop innovative solutions for his hysterical patients. Overall, Freud classifies doctors as absentminded, which is seen in Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” by the lack of attention and support the narrator receives when looking for a solution to her condition. However, Breuer completely breaks this stigma by being determined to always be there for his patients.

Freud continues to support his disappointing perspective on doctors by calling out the lack of knowledge doctors have on mental illnesses, including hysteria. Freud explains to his audience, “But all his knowledge – his training in anatomy, in physiology and pathology – leaves him in the lurch when he is confronted by the details of hysterical phenomena. He cannot understand hysteria, and in the face of it, he is himself a layman”(Freud 2001). This shows how irresponsible doctors are for not taking hysteria or any mental illnesses seriously, which leaves the patient feeling vulnerable and ultimately makes doctors useless when it comes to mental hardships that their patient may be facing. This connects to Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” because due to the lack of seriousness the narrator receives from doctors about her mental condition, the narrator ends up with no solutions to her condition. The narrator’s husband classifies the narrator’s condition as insignificant as stated in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” “There is nothing so dangerous, so fascinating, to a temperament like yours. It is a false and foolish fancy. Can you not trust me as a physician when I tell you so? (Gilman 652).” This connects to Freud’s perspective because the narrator’s husband represents the closed mindset most doctors shared. The narrator’s husband used his profession to minimize the importance of the narrator’s condition, which is unfair to the narrator because it undoubtedly makes her feel like a burden, which is similar to what doctors did with their patients who suffered from a mental illness, including hysteria. Unlike the narrator from “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Breuer carefully treated his patients. Freud’s “Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis” states, “Soon, moreover, his benevolent scrutiny showed him the means of bringing her a first installment of help”(Berur 2001). This shows how Bruer’s innovative approach with his hysterical patients allowed Bruer to understand how he can create effective solutions against hysteria. Overall, Freud classifies doctors as ignorant to the sense that if doctors cannot understand a patient’s mental condition then it must be imaginary, which connects to “The Yellow Wallpaper” by the serval times the narrator’s husband calls her condition made up. 

In essence, in Freud’s speech, “Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis”, Freud makes it evident he views most doctors as useless and closed-minded as seen in Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” by lack of sympathy and seriousness the narrator receives from the doctors, which supports Freud’s perspective that most doctors viewed mental illness, including hysteria, as insignificant. However, Freud pays respect to Beuer’s innovative approach to helping patients who face hysteria. Beuer sympathizes and undoubtedly wants to help his patients, while the doctors in “The Yellow Wallpaper” caused the narrator to feel a burden and neglected due to the poor level of effectiveness the doctors had on her condition.  

Citations

Freud, Sigmund. “Five Lectures On Psycho-Analysis.” FIVE LECTURES OF PSYCHO-ANALYSIS, Clark University, Worcester Massachusetts, Sept. 1909, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b446/cfb00094a2e62f82e8c8e430581891ca4e47.pdf?_ga=2.153662776.1893964575.1597526595-1709737971.1597526595

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins, and Ann J. Lane. The Yellow Wallpaper. New York: Pantheon Books, 1980. The-Yellow-Wall-Paper_Original.pdf 

Self Reflection:

Carlos Aucacama

Class: Fiqwis 10108 HA 8

Due: September 29, 2021

Professor Von Uhl

Self-Reflection 

The goal of the Summary and Response essay was to explain the connection between Freud’s perspective on doctors and “The Yellow Wallpaper,” which made the genre of the Response and Summary essay a persuasive/argumentative essay. The goal of My Summary and Response essay was to express my knowledge of Freud’s first lecture and his perspective on doctors; while also persuading the reader Freud’s criticism of doctors is present in Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” through a convincing tone. The tone of the Summary and Response essay must illustrate our understanding of both readings while also illustrating our ability to make connections between concepts and literal text examples. The purpose of the Summary and Response was to persuade the audience into seeing and agreeing with Freud’s perspective on doctors while using Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” as our supporting evidence. Our audience consisted of both of our professors and our classmates. The Summary and Response was assigned and written to demonstrate and craft our analysis of Freud’s perspective on doctors. The Summary and Response essay expresses the shared knowledge between the writer and the audience on Freud’s first lecture and “The Yellow Wallpaper”. Furthermore, persuading the readers into seeing the connection between Freud’s criticism and the “The Yellow Wallpaper” is the common goal the writers, including myself, share in the Response and Summary essay.

In essence, the goal of the Summary and Response essay was to show our understanding of both Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Freud’s “Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis.” With our knowledge, we would develop a connection between the story and Freud’s perspective on doctors through the development of a persuasive/argument essay.