Definition Paper
In the beginning of the story, it is mentioned that Mr. Mallard 's friend, Richards, came to break the news to his wife. That makes the reader think that she cared for her husband. However, as the story goes on, the reader is led to believe that Louise didn 't much care for her husband. I say this because later in the story, when she attempts to picture a life alone without her husband, it said that "she had loved him-sometimes. Often she did not" (Chopin).
The character becomes aware of conflict between the two a little over halfway into the story where, using the same reference as in the first question, it says that Louise "had loved him-sometimes. Often she had not"(87). She struggles with whether she should be feeling bad because she did not him to a certain degree, or maybe she should be happy because she felt free, she felt an ignite in herself that she had not felt in a long time.
The aspect of Louise 's personality that she feels she needs to assert was her individuality, she had been so unhappy for so long, and had just accepted it, that it was finally time to come to terms with herself. She was more than just a wife, she was an
individual, and she had thoughts and feelings about her life just as anyone else. She had to come to terms with it all.
The aspect that seems to have been repressed is her freedom. It is mentioned how she is excited at the thought of how "all sorts of days that would be her own" (87).
The word that the main character keeps repeating is "free." At first I thought its significance may have been linked to her deceased husband. However, as I read through the story, I realized the significance of the word "free" pertains to Louise. She herself is free, free from her husband. In terms of dramatic conflict, I interpret the final line of the story to mean that her knowing her husband was dead shocked her to
The character becomes aware of conflict between the two a little over halfway into the story where, using the same reference as in the first question, it says that Louise "had loved him-sometimes. Often she had not"(87). She struggles with whether she should be feeling bad because she did not him to a certain degree, or maybe she should be happy because she felt free, she felt an ignite in herself that she had not felt in a long time.
The aspect of Louise 's personality that she feels she needs to assert was her individuality, she had been so unhappy for so long, and had just accepted it, that it was finally time to come to terms with herself. She was more than just a wife, she was an
individual, and she had thoughts and feelings about her life just as anyone else. She had to come to terms with it all.
The aspect that seems to have been repressed is her freedom. It is mentioned how she is excited at the thought of how "all sorts of days that would be her own" (87).
The word that the main character keeps repeating is "free." At first I thought its significance may have been linked to her deceased husband. However, as I read through the story, I realized the significance of the word "free" pertains to Louise. She herself is free, free from her husband. In terms of dramatic conflict, I interpret the final line of the story to mean that her knowing her husband was dead shocked her to
Cited: Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." Power of Language, Language of Power. n.d. 85-88.