what are things John says to his wife and then explains and then explain how they would make her feel

John treats his wife like a child. He hopes that the change of scenery and absence from city life will help the narrator recover from a “slight hysterical tendency.” John, a practical man, does not believe that the narrator is actually sick and decides that the best cure for her nervousness is the “rest cure,” a treatment promoted by the famous physician, S. Weir Mitchell.

John gives the narrator tonics and medicines to help with her recovery, but primarily directs her to stop writing. According to Weir Mitchell’s theory, any sort of creative activity will have a detrimental effect on the patient. The wife feels powerless to explain her feelings or stand up to her husband.