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Chopin's The Story Of An Hour

Decent Essays

The Story of an Hour: Character Analysis The Story of an Hour is a great portrayal of how many women felt during the 1870s. It is a serious representation of how difficult it was to get divorced in that time. During this short story a women by the name of Louise Mallard rejoices at the news of her husband’s death and then unfortunately, due to her excitement, she dies. To many this may seem uncanny and one might question why she was overjoyed by that upsetting news however she was justified in feeling the way she felt. Within the 1870’s it was rather challenging to be a divorced, single women with no spouse to support her. Releasing oneself from marriage was usually not an option if you were female. In this story Mrs. Mallard states numerous times how she felt free, and her body and soul were free. To be in this mind set after hearing her husband had passed it is reason to believe her marriage was not the in the best shape. She certainly felt trapped within their marriage and this justifies her reaction. To react in a delighted way when hearing the news that your husband has died one must have some type of justifiable …show more content…

Mallard gave off were possibly not even about her husband maybe they were more about her freedom from him. As the writer states, “What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!” (Chopin, 477) Having such feelings brought her to having a rush of freedom, as the writes says, “she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being” was how free she felt. She was then able to think on her own and be on her own. Mrs. Mallard expresses how she possesses self-assertion, which is defined as relying on ones self, and expressing ones own desires. It is implied that she was not self reliant, so hearing the news of her husbands death and reacting with excitement is justified with her expression of finally feeling

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