John is a loving husband: revised draft

John’s love and devotion to his wife are evident throughout the book. Our knowledge of him comes exclusively from the narrator, who isn’t within mental capacity to give us reliable information. Based on what we do know, however, it is a likely assumption that his intentions for his wife are good. Because they had a child together, he is linked to her on a much higher emotional level. It isn’t likely that he would wish anything bad against the mother of his child: “I beg of you, for my sake and for our child’s sake, as well as for your own” (24). John is pleading for his wife to come to her senses, making a point to mention that it is for the baby’s sake. He is insistent that she get well so they can return to a normal life. “[John] said we came here solely on my account…” (12). This quote farther proves that his only motive in bringing the narrator to the country house was to improve her condition. As a physician, he knows what is best for her and makes all possible efforts to accommodate to her needs. He fails to follow her mental web of insanity because of how she hides it: “of course I don’t [cry] when John is here…” (19). If he doesn’t know that her mental situation is worsening, how is he supposed to help her? She also mentions several other times throughout the book how she doesn’t bring up the wall-paper to him anymore. He had no reason to believe she was getting worse, especially since physically, she was improving. Within what he knew, John did what he could for his wife, especially since at the time, bed treatment was highly recommended for a woman in the situation she was in. He is a good man who only wants to protect his wife so they can live a normal life with their new baby.