In fact, Gilman indirectly refers to herself when the narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper" talks about her friend who was seen by Weir Mitchell and was cured using rest cure. Gilman strongly disapproved of the rest cure treatment and wrote "The Yellow Wallpaper" in response to her negative emotions towards it and to further support her position as a revered feminist of her time. Gilman condemned men's manipulation of women, which also motivated her to write this short story in criticism of Weir Mitchell's rest cure treatment and the mentality he instilled throughout society in the 1800s (Cott). Harsh criticism of the rest cure treatment by Gilman and other contemporary feminists eventually caused Weir Mitchell to retire the practice of the rest cure treatment due to its oppressive nature towards women in the name of their own health. Ultimately, Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote "The Yellow Wallpaper" as a criticism and attack on Silas Weir Mitchell's rest treatment, as evident by the narrator's negative experience during the treatment. The rest cure treatment only caused the narrator to become more depressed and nervous and drove her to go crazy, similar to other patients treated with the rest cure. The plot also shows men's manipulative treatment of women in the 1800s, reinforcing Gilman's feminist critique of the rest cure.