Progressive dementia is the process by which an individual gradually losses their intellectual capacity and personality integration. In "The Yellow Wall-Paper," Gilman captures the essence of the journey to madness via her use of first person narration. The relationship between Jane, the narrator of the story, and her husband John provokes an uneasy curiosity in the reader. While the evidence that John sincerely cares for his wife and is attempting everything in his power to …showed first 75 words of 892 total…

…showed last 75 words of 892 total…treatments were often more dangerous than the disease. Fortunately, the diagnosis and treatment of the psychologically disturbed has progressed over the past century. However, this story still represents an excellent example of why human beings should never be too confident in their own intellectual progress. As doctors continue to "stand on the shoulders of giants" and further advance medical science, we must remember to be careful not to trip and fall over our own arrogance.