Louise Mallard's Death

“The Story of an Hour” is a great short story written by Kate Chopin in 1894. This story is full of ups, downs, and surprises that keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Chopin begins the story by introducing the main character Mrs. Mallard, who upon learning that her husband has been killed in a tragic railroad accident does not respond the way the reader anticipates. Instead of trying to process what has happened, or even denying it, Mrs. Mallard immediately begins crying hysterically. After a few minutes she decides that she needs to be alone.

In this quote, “’Body and soul free!’”, Mrs. Mallard verbally recognizes her freedom now that her husband has died, and it is important to the story because it highlights her true feelings about her husband. Mrs. Mallard felt oppressed physically and spiritually by her husband to the point that his death has resulted in her freedom and happiness. It also highlights her optimism and ability to find a silver lining to the death of someone very special to her. Lastly, I thought this phrase was important to the story because it is whispered by Mrs. Mallard which

Literary Analysis “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin introduces us to Mrs. Mallard as she reacts to the sudden death of her husband. Chopin describes Mrs. Mallard’s emotions as sad, yet happy that her husband has been killed. Kate Chopin’s “ The Story of an Hour” argues that when a person is controlled and made to live under another person their mental state of mind is affected. The story also argues that when that person is freed from the controlling person their true self can finally be achieved. Kate Chopin portrays these themes by the use of character development; plot control, and irony throughout the story.

Kate Chopin often wrote about topics that were not necessarily thought to be acceptable by her society. Women of Chopin’s time were not given very much credit for anything. They were looked down upon as if they had no true value. Through writing Chopin gives women a new role in life. Her stories give a look into the life of some women actually go through.

It is possible to understand that the emotion of finally being able to enjoy the freedom one desires but only can be achieved privately. For example, the story mentions Louise hearing from Josephine and Richard’s proclaiming of Brently’s death. At first, Mrs. Mallard will obviously react with grief. However, this is just a mask she uses to hide the feeling of extreme joy. In actually, Louise begins to realize that she is now and finally an independent woman.

Chopin uses the phrase, “…of joy that kills” at the end of her short story. The meaning behind the phrase is somewhat twisted. We know that Louise Mallard is not happy at all to see her husband’s face after thinking he was dead. The joy of Mrs. Mallards independence was ripped away from her so fast which caused the overwhelming feeling which caused her to die. Throughout the story Mrs. Mallard has experienced many obstacles in just the time of an hour.

Throughout the story the reader can see that independence for a woman is a forbidden pleasure that can only be imagined privately. Mrs. Millard finds out from her sister that her husband died she “wept at once…when

The symbolism and imagery show throughout the poem that with each stanza being written in a visual manner. The audience can easily picture a theme and feel the author’s remarkable use of emotions in her piece written with an advanced sense of sensibility. Rita Joe’s point of view is narrated by the summary of her experiences put into her piece of writing that established and showcased her empowering and strong personality. It is a reflective piece of writing that was delivered using symbolism, imagery, and visual mental images used to illustrate the theme of “ I Lost My Talk”. Joe’s horrific history was filled with many hardships and obstacles in her life.

Today, most people would assume that the reaction to a loved one’s death would be immediate grief; however, that would not be the case in the late 1800s. In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of An Hour” women were expected to grieve differently than men. The story conveys the main character Mrs. Mallard’s distress and joy after she discovered the supposed death of her husband. The story does not demonstrate Mrs. Mallard following the stages of grief that would be expected when grieving over her husband. In spite of the fact that Mrs. Mallard was grieving she was likewise encountering joy and satisfaction since she then realizes that she is currently free.

Kate Chopin’s purpose for writing “The Story of an Hour” is to demonstrate the idea that with freedom comes delight and horror. She conveys this point by using characterization. At the beginning of the story, the audience reads that Mrs. Mallards husband has passed away. She is told by her sister that her husband has passed, but unlike most people, Mrs. Mallard does not “accept its significance” due to a “paralyzed inability.” Because of the inability, she is filled with misery and “physical exhaustion”, but not for long. She murmurs, free, free, free” as she realizes that due to the passing of her husband, she is now unrestricted to his will.