I also didn't think about the time it was written. But after reading my classmates' take on the story and doing some research about the story online, I came back and re-read it and realized that it was rather confusing as to where is its position. Is she really on vacation? Or is she really in an asylum? It has been suggested that she suffered from postpartum depression, and after reading this story several times, I see that this could very well be her illness. She had recently had a baby. “It’s lucky that Mary is so good to the baby. Such a dear baby! (p. 393) When this story was written, postpartum depression was not heard of. Symptoms of PPD include sad mood, trouble sleeping, loss of energy, thoughts of death or suicide, and feelings of rejection. The narrator has experienced all this