At one point in the story, John tries to convince her that she is getting better. He states, “You are gaining flesh and color, your appetite is better, I feel really much easier about you.” (Gilman 798). However, the protagonist insists that she has not gained a pound, and that her appetite is worse when he is away from home. John then goes onto say, “Bless her little heart! She shall be as sick as she pleases.” (Gilman 798). John is referring that the protagonist is acting similar to a child. When he says “sick as she pleases”, he is reflecting on how children make up illnesses when trying to get out of certain things. John treating the protagonist like a child and misdiagnosing her is the cause of her isolation and a root of her complete mental