What does John Diagnos his wife with? Why does the narrator say his profession is "perhaps...one reason I do not get well faster"? What do you think she is really suffering from? Is her "treatment" working?
John diagnoses his his wife with a "slight hysterical tendency.” He doesn't actually believe she is sick, and as a physician, prescribes her a "rest cure", as well as various tonics and medicines. The narrator suffers from “neurasthenia”, an illness the author was diagnosed with, and the reason she chose to write this story. The rest cure is not effective, and only serves to make things worse.... both in the story, and in real life.
