No person is intrinsically mad; humans have caused other humans to drown their sanity, which can then submerge that person in an ocean of madness. Historically, madness has become a common occurrence among women due to several stressors they have to endure on a daily basis: finding a husband, giving birth to children, raising them, finding a suitable job, maintaining femininity and more. Authors Charlotte Gilman and Jhumpa Lahiri explored the psyches of two women who were facing very stressful situations. Gilman's The Yellow-Wallpaper introduces its readers to an unnamed nineteenth-century woman who is slowly falling into madness. The protagonist must endure the “rest cure” in which she must live without artistic expression, human contact, or freedom to go wherever she wants. After months of resistance, she is finally driven to madness by her husband, who originally initiated her treatment. Lahiri's protagonist, Aparna, is forced into an arranged marriage, then moves to Boston with her new husband to live a new life with their daughter Usha. Aparna is neglected by her husband, finds it difficult to adapt to Boston culture, and spends most of her time being a housewife. She eventually finds a friend, and perhaps a love, in another Bengali man named Pranab. Once engaged and then married, Aparna reveals to Usha that she was on the verge of committing suicide. Both characters were controlled and had little to no say in what they could or could not do. These restrictions, along with the additional stress they have faced, drive both of them to the brink of madness. Women who have had to endure the struggle of doing what is expected of them while still trying to do what they desire encounter many restrictions that force them to distance themselves from... middle of paper... self-expression can then get lost. Works Cited Gilman, Charlotte P. "Gilman, Why I Wrote the Yellow Wallpaper." Gilman, Why I wrote the yellow background. The Forerunner, 1913. Web. 17 February 2014. Gilman, Charlotte. “The yellow background” DiYanni, Robert. The yellow background. Literature: reading fiction, poetry and theatre. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007. 542-52. Print.Lahiri, Jhumpa. "Hell-Heaven" DiYanni, Robery. Hell-Paradise. Literature: reading fiction, poetry and theatre. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007. 348-361. Print.Muhi, Maysoon T. ""Much Madness is the Divinest Sense": Madness in "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman" "Much Madness is the Divinest Sense": Madness in "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (2009): 1 -17.Isaj.net. College of Education for Women University of Baghdad, 2009. Web. 15 February. 2014.