The first mention of inferiority in the story is the general idea that John is supposed to take care of her, but not in a good way. The protagonist allowed herself to be inferior to her husband, while he isolated her from reality. Stetson presents the woman on the wallpaper as a symbol of isolation. Similarly, the narrator is imprisoned in a manger. While the narrator is in a controlled state of mind, John begins to condescend to her. If writing is very important to the narrator, it is the opposite for him. He considers her writing not an important part of her and does not care for her properly. John constantly refers to the narrator with the word "little" to show readers that he is superior to her and that she has less power. Stetson writes: “I'm glad my case is not serious! But these nervous disorders are terribly depressing. John doesn't know how much pain I really suffer. He knows that there is no reason to suffer, and this satisfies him” (page 649). In reference to the theme of the narrator's mental illness, male dominance is also present. John further puts an end to his depressive suffering by calling it a “nervous disorder.” As John believes that her case is "not serious", the narrator also begins to believe that this is true, due to the superiority that John has over her. Treating the narrator as if she is incompetent and incapable of taking care of herself, John doesn't care.