Gilman wanted to help other women who had faced the same difficulties as her by guiding them through her own experiences. On page 85 of The Abridged Diaries of Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a diary entry from January 1, 1885 described her worsening symptoms of depression, where she wrote, “I have been far from well. I don't know if I'm better in any way. [...] Ambition sleeps. I don't move, but I just live” (qtd. in Loyola University New Orleans n.pag.). From the perspective of today's society, this voice evidently shows signs of severe depression while modern treatments should encourage her to engage in activity. However, during his time period this would have been considered nothing more than “a slight hysterical tendency” (Gilman 2) caused by excessive mental activity and insufficient rest, the opposite of today's regimes. The society Jane grew up in, similar to Gilman's, assumes that if someone has no visual symptoms of illness, their case is not considered serious because it's all in the head and it's just a matter of rest. Relieved that his case is nothing to worry about, the narrator writes, “John is gone all day, and even some nights when his cases are serious. I'm happy my case isn't serious” (Gilman 3)! Be certain