Story Of An Hour Literary Analysis

Brokenhearted and Free

‘The Story of an Hour’ takes place in Louise Mallard’s home, the focus is on the family that lives there, and the topic of the story is the loss of Louise’s husband Brently. Louise had heart trouble and with her sister’s careful delivery of bad news, Louise reacts with obvious grief. However, she begins to realize that she is now an independent woman, a realization that excites her. She sees her life as being absolutely hers and is happy thinking about her new sense of independence. The Author, Kate Chopin somewhat suggests that all marriages are naturally overwhelming. Despite the love between husband and wife, Louise views Brently’s death as a release from oppression. She never names a specific way in which Brently oppressed her instead she hints that marriage in general holds back both women and men. The role of family
is a main theme in this story because it is focused on the death of Louise’s husband Brently, the support of her family and how she deals with her husband’s loss.
After hearing the news about her husband Brently’s death, Louise went to her room to be alone. She looks out her window at open spaces below. “But now there was a dull stare in her eyes, whose gaze was fixed away off yonder on one of those patches of blue sky. It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought”(Bowers, Jones and Stott). Louise acknowledges the feeling of independence that Brently’s death has given her. She thinks that all women and men in marriages oppress one another even if they do it out of kindness. Louise knows that she often felt love for Brently but tells herself that none of that matters anymore. Louise’s sister Josephine was worried about her being alone and upset so she encourages her to come out of her room, warning her that she’ll get sick if she doesn’t. Finally Louise comes out of her room “She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long “(Bowers, Jones and Stott). Feeling like she’s overcome her sadness and her new desire for freedom. She comes out of her room like a new person, stronger for her grief, and excited about her life ahead as she keeps thinking of the idea that she 's free at last. Suddenly, Brently comes home. Everyone 's shocked, except Brently, who has no idea of what 's been going on. Even though Josephine and Richards are surprised too, they try to keep Louise from receiving the shock. But they can 't. As if getting a shock wouldn 't be hard enough on her heart, she had emotions and excitement about freedom running through her body. Doctors arrive and pronounce that Louise died of a heart attack brought on by happiness.
Josephine was worried when it came to exposing Louise’s fragile heart to sudden shocks and surprises, which showed that she loved her sister wholeheartedly, and didn’t want something bad to happen to her.
She had tried to Prevent Louise from seeing Brently when he came into the house but it was too late, Louise had died. The diagnosis of “heart disease” seemed appropriate because the shock of seeing Brently was enough to kill her. The doctors’ said that she died of overwhelming joy, it was ironic because it had been the loss of joy that had actually killed her. Louise seemed to have died of a broken heart, caused by the sudden loss of her independence. The role of family is shown not only by Josephine but also by Brently too. Louise desperately wanted more freedom, but it’s once she thought that her husband has died that she started to think about it. That showed that she had respect for her husband, and didn’t dare to do anything that breaks with his rights and restrictions in their marriage. “The Story of an Hour” tells a lot about the situation women were in when they were married and how they really should feel,
free.

Works Cited

Bowers, Rick, Raymond E. Jones, and Jon C. Stott. The Harbrace Anthology of Short Fiction. Toronto: Thomson Nelson, 2006. Print.