Stress In Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour
The loss of one’s spouse is a pain some people cannot endure; others handle this delicate situation in a different matter, such as Louise Mallard in the story, “The Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin. Mrs. Louise Mallard is a young and very pretty lady, but with the recent death of her husband, she appears to be much older. “She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength. 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.” (Chopin 8)
Louise not only seems to be aging physically, but mentally as well; “It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought.” (Chopin 8) She then begins …show more content…
“Into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul.” (Chopin 4) Little did she know these were the signs of a heart attack, as “her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.” (Chopin 11)
Louise continues upstairs to be alone with her thoughts after her sister, Josephine, breaks the news of her husband’s death to her very gently as she is already suffering a heart condition; this is a foreshadow to the very ending of the story.
As Louise is sitting in her chair upstairs, alone with nothing but her own dark thoughts, she suddenly comes to the realization that she is finally free as she keeps saying over and over again, “free, free, free.” (Chopin 11) “Free! Body and soul free!” (Chopin 16) she says to herself.
She knows she had loved her husband (sometimes) but now that she is free to do whatever she wishes, her anguish then suddenly changed to anticipation for independence. “Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own.” (Chopin 19) Now that her husband has passed, she realized it would be easier if she just moved on with her life. “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
Louise not only seems to be aging physically, but mentally as well; “It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought.” (Chopin 8) She then begins …show more content…
“Into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul.” (Chopin 4) Little did she know these were the signs of a heart attack, as “her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.” (Chopin 11)
Louise continues upstairs to be alone with her thoughts after her sister, Josephine, breaks the news of her husband’s death to her very gently as she is already suffering a heart condition; this is a foreshadow to the very ending of the story.
As Louise is sitting in her chair upstairs, alone with nothing but her own dark thoughts, she suddenly comes to the realization that she is finally free as she keeps saying over and over again, “free, free, free.” (Chopin 11) “Free! Body and soul free!” (Chopin 16) she says to herself.
She knows she had loved her husband (sometimes) but now that she is free to do whatever she wishes, her anguish then suddenly changed to anticipation for independence. “Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own.” (Chopin 19) Now that her husband has passed, she realized it would be easier if she just moved on with her life. “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