Read the excerpt from "the yellow wallpaper." john does not know how much i really suffer. he knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him. of course it is only nervousness. it does weigh on me so not to do my duty in any way! i meant to be such a to john, such a real rest and comfort, and here i am a comparative burden already! nobody would believe what an effort it is to do what little i am able,—to dress and entertain, and order things. how does the narrator’s viewpoint reveal a social attitude of gilman’s time? the narrator questions why she should perform certain duties, such as entertaining guests. the narrator feels an overwhelming responsibility to meet society’s expectations. the narrator thinks that her husband displays a great deal of nervousness, and she wonders about its source. the narrator questions her place in society and her role as a mother and a wife.