Story Of An Hour Literary Analysis

“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is a story that delves deep into the emotions of the main character Louise Mallard. The action takes place within one hour at the Mallard household, where Mrs. Mallard spends most of her time due to her severe heart issues. In this hour Mrs. Mallard receives news of her husband’s tragic death in a railroad accident. At the breaking of this news Mrs. Mallard is swiftly taken to her room where she goes through a series of emotions that ultimately lead to a shocking revelation. “The Story of an Hour” is a work of literature that presents numerous ironies and emotional conflicts that have resulted in two distinct themes. The first being that sometimes the greatest things we find in life may not always come in the way we expect, and the second is to enjoy things while they last. While there are
First is that the greatest things in life can sometimes manifest in unusual ways, and second to enjoy them while they last because nothing lasts forever. As depressing as this revelation may seem, it is something that many people can relate to. There are many times throughout our lives where it may seem that one bad thing after the next is happening to us, but look at the case with Mrs. Mallard. She was a woman who was given the news of her husband’s death, and somehow found some sense of joy out of it. That’s not to say she didn’t love her husband, because she did, but the fact that she was now free from the oppression she had faced during that time being a married to a man who controlled everything. Sadly, Mrs. Mallard did not get to experience this freedom for very long due to the return of her not deceased husband. This goes back to the idea that nothing lasts forever. In this story these two themes play hand in hand in the overall message they give to readers, and are what make it an admirable work of