The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

In the late 19th century, Charlotte Perkins Gilman published a short story called "The Yellow Wallpaper" which has since become a classic in feminist literature. The story is a haunting portrayal of a woman's descent into madness as a result of the rest cure that was often prescribed for women suffering from mental illness at the time. The story is a masterpiece of psychological horror and social commentary, exploring themes of gender roles, power dynamics, and the nature of madness.

The story is narrated by an unnamed woman who is suffering from what her husband and brother, both physicians, believe is a nervous condition. The woman is confined to a bedroom in a summer house, with yellow wallpaper that she finds oppressive and disturbing. The room is described as having barred windows and a bed that is nailed to the floor, which immediately gives the reader a sense of confinement and restriction. The woman's husband, John, believes that she should rest and not engage in any activities, including writing, which he believes will exacerbate her condition. As a result, the woman is forced to spend her days alone in the room, with only the yellow wallpaper for company.

The woman begins to become increasingly fixated on the wallpaper, describing its pattern as "revolting" and "smoldering." She imagines that there is a woman trapped behind the wallpaper, trying to escape. She becomes obsessed with the idea of freeing the woman and spends hours every day examining the wallpaper and trying to find a way to release the woman.

As the story progresses, the woman's mental state deteriorates. She becomes convinced that the wallpaper is alive and that it is trying to control her. She begins to see patterns in the wallpaper that are not there and hears strange noises coming from behind it. She becomes paranoid, convinced that John and his sister are spying on her and trying to prevent her from escaping. She begins to see the woman behind the wallpaper as a kindred spirit, and the two of them begin to communicate in secret.

The climax of the story comes when the woman tears down the wallpaper in a fit of madness, freeing the woman behind it. At this point, her husband bursts into the room and is horrified by what he sees. The woman has completely lost her grip on reality and is now completely insane. The story ends with her crawling around the room, over the torn wallpaper, as her husband faints at the sight of her.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" is a powerful and disturbing story that explores the role of women in society and the way that they were often confined and controlled by men. The story can be read as a critique of the rest cure, which was often prescribed for women suffering from mental illness at the time. The rest cure involved complete isolation from the outside world, with no intellectual or physical stimulation. Gilman herself underwent this treatment and found it to be deeply oppressive and harmful to her mental health.

The story also explores the theme of the nature of madness. The woman in the story is suffering from a mental illness, but her condition is exacerbated by the confinement and isolation that she is subjected to. The story raises questions about the causes of mental illness and the way that society responds to those who suffer from it.

Finally, the story can be read as a feminist critique of gender roles and power dynamics. The woman in the story is completely dependent on her husband for her care and treatment, and he is dismissive of her concerns and opinions. The story highlights the way that women were often silenced and oppressed by men, and the way that this oppression could lead to mental illness and breakdown.