) It is because of these "fine physicians" her other friends and relatives do not believe there is anything wrong with her. Everyone knew that Jane had an imagination and liked to write, and Jane believes that Jennie thinks that she is ill because of her writings. Everyone doubts Jane and she doubts them, leading Jane to her unknown, unintended, path of self-destruction.
Another reason that Jane is a victim and should be shown sympathy is because she was neglected by her physician, but loved by her husband. Although they are one and the same, John chose to treat her as a wife and not a patient. Unfortunately for Jane, the rest cure was a widely accepted prescription that physicians (including John) used in the nineteenth century. If John would have just acted as a physician and listened to the patient (and not his wife), (while knowing the patient is his wife and that she has a wild imagination) he could have treated her with more seriousness and perhaps found a better way to treat her "temporary nervous depression." Since John is the physician and husband, he had a biased opinion on her mind and illness from the start. As a doctor he should have considered all of the possibilities on what she was going through, including her having twisted, scary visions (due to her imagination). Her imagination is an important factor to consider, especially when the physician knows the childhood imagination that was once a part of her life, and that certain furniture made her feel more safe, scared, or uncomfortable. Instead John (the physician) laughs at her cries for help and chooses to not ask more in depth questions on her feelings and illness to understand the true depth of depression she was in. .
The next reason Jane deserves sympathy is because she is suffering from "temporary nervous depression" (Gilman 473) as John says, when really it is postpartum depression.