This reading was really interesting because my views about John changed drastically from the beginning to the end. I think that the first person narration really helps to view the situation from the perspective of John’s wife, and therefore feel the same emotions that she felt in the story. At the beginning of the reading, I felt as though the narrator was a hypochondriac in a way, and was being taken great care of by her husband. It seemed that he was going out and working to provide for the family as well as taking care of his wife while he’s home. She explained that he meticulously keeps track of all her medications and tells her that she must have the “most perfect rest.” However, towards the middle of the reading I start to question his sincerity and start to think of him as controlling over his wife. She seems almost trapped in a way where she deeply cares for her husband but he has a dominance over her that she can’t fight. It appears that almost every aspect of her life is dictated by John. She wanted to go visit her cousins, but John said no.
This makes me wonder if she was ever really “sick” in the first place or if John asserts his dominance and tricks her into thinking that she is ill. This reminded me of Munchausen Syndrome where a person causes someone to deliberately act as though they are ill. John acts as though he cares for his wife and has medical knowledge but seems to need this sort of power in order to feel in control of all aspects of his life, including his wife. Even when his wife feels fine, like when she asks to go visit her cousins, he says no because it’s not good for her, even though she doesn’t feel sick. This psychologically tricks her into also thinking that she is sick. The story escalated very quickly in the short ten pages but the ending wasn’t completely unpredictable based on the series of events that led up to it. It’s interesting to see the man in the relationship playing the role of the care-giver because that seemed to be an uncommon idea not too long ago. However, the way the story depicts it explains that the changed gender roles serves to show that men had a clear dominance and there’s a strong power dynamic between men and women. John as the care-giver was just a way for him to assert control.
I really like your point about Munchausen Syndrome, and I think it applies very well here. People afflicted with Munchausen Syndrome feel the need for control over a situation, whether it be for attention, dominance, or some other factor. In this story, it is clear that John feels the need to have control over his wife, perhaps because she was attempting to express herself intellectually and emotionally through writing, which he may have felt threatened by. By convincing her of her illness, he is regaining the position in which he has all the control and holds all the intellectual capabilities of the household.
I felt like the relationship between John and his wife was more like the relationship between a pet and its owner than a spousal relationship. John looks after his wife and cares for her, but he never asks her what she thinks is best and only acts on what he believes to be correct. A spousal relationship is more balanced with both ends contributing equally and helping each other be better people. John, like many husbands at this time, felt they had to take care of their wives because they couldn’t take care of themselves. While John was kind to help her and care for her, his manner of doing so was demeaning and made his wife feel like she was a puppet being controlled and her own thoughts and emotions meant nothing to anyone.
My perspective on John also evolved throughout the story. I originally believed John was truly taking care of the narrator; however, I quickly realized that John does not exhibit much care for the fact that his wife is sick, as the narrator states “John is a physician, and perhaps—(I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind)—perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster. You see, he does not believe I am sick!”