Final answer:
John's term 'blessed little goose' for his wife suggests both affection and patronization, indicating he finds her concerns trivial but also endearing.
Step-by-step explanation:
When John calls his wife a 'blessed little goose' in line 56, we can infer that he feels affectionately towards her but also somewhat belittles her concerns. This phrase suggests that he considers her worries to be trivial or naive, much like a goose that is seen as a silly and mindless bird.
Despite this minimization, the use of 'blessed' also implies a degree of endearment and that he finds her naivety charming. In context, his statement is likely indicative of a dynamic where he sees himself as the more practical and rational partner and her as the more imaginative and less pragmatic one.
In the broader narrative, this reflects a common gender dynamic of the time where women's concerns were often dismissed, which might add to the feeling of being patronized.