"The Story of an Hour" by: Kate Chopin

“The Story of an Hour”

“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin revolves around Mrs. Mallards feelings and emotions about her husbands death. The story is about Mr.Mallard who just found out that her husband died in a tragic train accident. She locks herself in her room and starts thinking about the life ahead of her. Kate Chopin uses a lot of ironies throughout the story like Mrs. Mallards husband actually being alive. An important irony of the story is instead of Mrs. Mallard being sad about her husband's death her feelings show that she was actually relieved. In the story the characters think Mrs. Mallard died from the joy of seeing her husband but i think she died from the sadness of seeing her husband.

When Mrs. Mallard finds out that her husband is dead she locks herself in her room. Her sister Josephine thinks she is going to harm herself due to Mrs. Mallard’s husband tragic accident. In the story Josephine says “Louise, open the door! I beg; open the door- you will make yourself ill. What are you doing Louise?...”(pg 596). Josephine thinks Mrs. Mallard is harming or hurting herself. But we the readers know that she isn't actually hurting herself but is actually quite happy. Mrs. Mallard was in her room thinking about her life in the future where she doesn't have to provide for her husband anymore.

While Mrs.Mallard was in her room she kept whispering the words “free, free” she started thinking about how she doesn't have to obey her husband's commands and just live for herself. In the story Mrs.Mallard feels that “There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself” (pg 595). Mrs. Mallard feels that now since her husband is dead she can live the life she wanted too. She is free from her husband, he doesn't have to hold her back anymore. Thats why i think she is sad when she finds out  her husband is actually alive.

When Mrs. Mallard goes downstairs the last person she expects to see is her husband. When she sees her husband she is in big shock. But its too late for her to do anything. When her husband comes to sees her she is already dead. “When the doctors came they said she died of heart disease -- of the joy that kills” (pg 596). What i think is that Mrs. Mallard didn't die of the joy of seeing her husband but of the disappointment or sadness of seeing him. When Mrs. Mallard was in her room she started thinking of her future without her husband in the picture. In a way she was kind of happy that he was gone. I think she died of the sadness of seeing her husband because i feel that when she saw him she was in big shock and felt like she was going back to her old life style which means following her husband orders.

For my final words, I don't believe Mrs. Mallard died of the joy of seeing her husband. All of her emotions showed that she was relieved that he was gone. Like thinking of her life without her husband. Mrs. Mallard already started planning her future as being free. When she found out her husband was gone she felt like he doesn't have to pull her back anymore. All Mrs. Mallard wanted was to be free and live for herself not for her husband. And when her husband died she felt like that was her chance to have the life she always dreamed of. I think Mrs. Mallard died of the disappointment  of seeing her husband and not of joy.