In Kate Chopin’s short tale, “The Story of an Hour”, the protagonist Mrs. Mallard seems to ride a rollercoaster of emotions and feelings about her husband, Mr. Mallard’s, death. The story begins by informing us of Mrs. Mallard’s heart condition which leads us to believe that the heart condition will affect the story. Many times in the story we see that Mrs. Mallard does not handle situations in the way most woman did in that time. She doesn’t seem to know how to really feel about the tragic situation of her husbands death. Mrs. Mallard goes through so many changes in such a short period of time that some readers would believe it is the amount of drastic changes that caused her to pass of a heart disease…
Chopin uses imagery and descriptive detail to contrast the rich possibilities for which Mrs. Mallard yearns with the drab reality of her everyday life. Chopin uses specific words to give the reader a background on Mrs. Mallard’s position. Chopin uses “Fearfully” to describe what Mrs. Mallard’s reaction is when she finds out her husband is dead and realized that she is on her own. The word “Fearfully” shows that Mrs. Mallard did in fact love her husband. It does this by giving the reader the implication that she was worried about how she would live without him to be there for her. She was afraid to go on without having him there for her. Later on in the story the use of the word “Unwittingly” describes Mrs. Mallard’s mood. This shows that Mrs. Mallard had made peace with her husband’s death, and she is doing what she has to do. Mrs. Mallard is not going to worry about her husband’s death because she has…
In Kate Chopin's “The Story of an Hour”, Mrs. Mallord experiences multiple emotions. After hearing of her husband's death, Mrs. Mallord goes through different stages of grieving. She experiences grief, relief, and remorse. The first emotion she experiences is grief. “ She wept with sudden abandonment in her sister’s arms” is an example of her sorrow ( Chopin 223). The next emotion she feels is relief. After being married to Mr. Mallord for so long she is relieved to be a free women. She whispers “free, free, free” repeatedly to herself in her bedroom ( 224). She also states “ Free! Body and soul, free” showing her relief of finally being an independent woman(224). After feeling joy of being a free woman, she starts to feel remorse. Mrs. Mallord…
In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, the main character (Mrs.Mallard) is a married woman. Mrs.Mallard was afflicted with a “heart problem”. The author was not very specific about her troubled heart, which seemed to be a symbol of not just physical, but emotional distress as well. Jaqueline (Ms.Mallards sister) took precaution before announcing her husbands death to her because of that issue. When Jaqueline finally stated that her husband had supposedly died, she weeped momentarily but her grief was gone once she realized a new sense of life that was to be experienced. Ms.Mallard became rather joyful instead. She isolated herself in a room, and as she examined the outside through her window, she discovered a new sense of independence and freedom within her, rather than grief towards her husbands death. “Body and soul free”, she began to say to herself. She was at her highest peak of happiness until later on in the story when it turned out her husband was alive all along. It is ironic that the main character was so ecstatic, that when she saw her husband standing before her, her shock and disappointment at the loss of her new life was so intense that she passed away.…
“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin gives us a very interesting look at how an hour can be such a long time. This story is filled with irony. Every time that you think that you have the plot figured out, Chopin tosses in another twist that throws our minds for a loop. As I read this story the first time I thought how strange, but as I read it again and again I started pick up bits and pieces of what the author was trying to convey.…
“The Story of an Hour” is a two page short story written by Kate Chopin (born February 8, 1851 died August 22, 1904) (Larsson Donald, and Erskine Thomas 1), but despite its small size, it is filled with conflicting emotions and symbolism. The amount of well-hidden symbolism can make it very confusing, but it also gives the story an unlimited amount of meaning. At first glance, many may not realize that the sky is a symbol, or understand a kind “of joy that kills” (Chopin 128), and cannot comprehend the mental state someone must be in to fell “free” (129) from hearing of death of her spouse.…
In the short story, Story of an Hour, Chopin illustrates that societal expectations will subdue and repress one’s identity. Firstly, in the very first paragraph it is noted that Mrs. Mallard is afflicted with heart trouble; naturally, one would presume that she is of quite some age, however, in the eighth paragraph it reads, “She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength.” (Chopin, 8th paragraph) This comes as a surprise to the reader as it was originally inferred that she was much older but now that the reader becomes aware of her age, they are able to deduce how much psychological and emotional strain must have been pressed upon her to have lines that “bespoke repression” at such a young age. As well, Mrs. Mallard may have been inclined to enjoy those first few moments of newfound freedom in solitude, as she would not like anyone to see her in peace after her husband’s death. This sentence accurately illustrates how societal norms have repressed her identity, causing her to even hide from her sister to avoid questioning.…
There are many different tones, themes, characters, and symbolism in the short story “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin explains the story of a negative view of marriage by showing the reader with a woman who is overjoyed that her husband has died, also the characters in the story itself goes through multiply changes from fear to depression to finally freedom. The lone character, who goes through the most change be far throughout the entire story is the main character Mrs. Louise Mallard. This transformation doesn’t just help change the character of Louise Mallard, further the themes of the story and solidify the tones that the author are trying to set for the story.…
“Knowing that Mrs.Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death”(Chopin 278). This is the first sentence in “ The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and in this sentence we can tell an already broken women will be grieving. Mrs.Mallard is the protagonist of this story and as well as a dynamic character who is changing rapidly.…
Kate Chopin’s non-fiction work “The Story of An Hour” gives a detailed account of what Mrs. Mallard feels after heartbreak. Mrs. Mallard is inflicted with heart trouble as her husband dies. She feels there are freedoms and opportunities for her to take advantage of along with the grievance of her husband’s death. These complex issues are accounted for in her brief characterization of her last hour of life. Ironically her husband did not pass away, but she still creates a tragic ending.…
Mrs. Loise Mallard husband, Brently Mallard, has died in a train accident, according to a report received at a newspaper office.…
In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, Mrs. Mallard lost her husband, but the real story is about her terrible reaction. ”Free, free, free!” she yelled, as she disregarded her husband’s death and looked forward to the rest of her life. Her selfishness was repulsive for she never even thought of Brently, only all the things she would do that she never could in this marriage. The worst part had yet to come. When it turned out Mr. Mallard had never died, and he walked through the door, Mrs. Mallard did the unexpected.…
In The Story of an Hour, the main character, Mrs. Louise Mallard, is given terrible news as she learns her husband has died in a train accident, to which she reacts in an unexpected way; instead of being heartbroken she feels happy, free and as if she has been born again, which is contrary to what any woman should feel were they in her position. The author of the story, Kate Chopin, takes the reader from one end to another when she gives hints on the protagonist's feelings before and after her husband's death, making the clearly identifiable statement that marriage is a way of oppression for women. Though Chopin never states this directly, she implies it when describing Mrs. Mallard and her behaviour, as well as when depicting the setting.…
Ms. Mallards, the main character in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”, life is torn apart and put back together within and hour. She is stuck in a controlling relationship. This is because after hearing of her husband dying she feels free, she’s never loved him, and she finally feels happiness.…
In “The Story of an Hour,” a woman by the name of Mrs. Mallard recently hears of the death of her husband, Brently Mallard. The author describes Mrs. Mallard as a gentle, frail woman who has heart trouble (Chopin). When she hears the news, Mrs. Mallard immediately reacts with sorrow and retreats to her room to think about what has happened. While she is brooding in her room, she thinks about how the death of her husband gives her freedom to do whatever she likes. The author states, “She had loved him—sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter! What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!” (Chopin). Even though Mrs. Mallard was a very weak and frail person at the beginning of the story, just the thought of freedom liberates her from her sorrow and fills her with immense joy. Mrs. Mallard feel strong, as though she had eliminated her weakness and any self-doubt she had beforehand. However, the twist in the story is that Mrs. Mallard’s husband is actually alive. When her husband returns, her freedom and independence go straight out the door. As soon as Mrs. Mallard realizes this, she falls to the floor, stricken with a heart attack. Mrs. Mallard’s heart attack is a symbol for…