Story Of An Hour Literary Analysis

"What is the joy that kills?” The Story of an hour” is a short story written by late nineteenth century author Kate Chopin. The story is an untold reality of the way marriages were during the time period. Mrs. Louise Mallard is the main character of the story; Mrs. Mallard is a depressed middle aged woman whom recently discovers her husband has passed due to a railroad accident. Instead of becoming more depressed she actually becomes relieved. While Mrs. Mallard is weighing on the positive outcomes of her husband’s death she’s becomes exhilarated of her new found freedom from her husband’s controlling nature. The point when Mrs. Mallards feels the strongest and most powerful because of her husband’s death, she discovers her husband walking in the front door of their house alive and the shock alone kills Mrs. Mallard; the joy of freedom being taken away in an instance is the joy that kills.
Mallard is clearly overshadowed in her marriage. When she hears the news she locks herself away in her room to process the news. Her sister comes and knocks on the door to comfort her but there were no tears of sorrow but tears of joy (P17). Mrs. Mallard ways the privileges and opportunities in her mind as if she’s won the lottery. Everyone else whom have learned of Mr. Mallards death is grieving, but no one knew of what Mrs. Mallard was dealing with in her marriage, one reason Mrs. Mallard locked herself away in her room, was to not confuse her guests of her uplifting persona. Mrs. Mallard was Free at last there was no more “powerful will bending her”