Death in the Story of an Hour Essay

Written in 1894, “The Story of an Hour” is a story of a woman who, through the erroneously reported death of her husband, experienced true freedom. Both tragic and ironic, the story deals with the boundaries imposed on women by society in the nineteenth century. The author Kate Chopin, like the character in her story, had first-hand experience with the male-dominated society of that time and had experienced the death of her husband at a young age (Internet). The similarity between Kate Chopin and her heroine can only leave us to wonder how much of this story is fiction and how much is personal experience.

Kate Chopin’s short story, “The Story of An Hour,” emotionally illustrates the hour in which a young woman with a heart condition finds out her husband has been killed in a mining accident. In the beginning, she grieves over the loss of her husband, but she soon becomes relieved and joyous when she realizes that she is now free. However, her husband returns after having been far from the mines for the day and her heart problems return and she dies. Kate Chopin was an early feminist author and was well acquainted with death after losing many siblings as a child, her husband (who left her a large amount of debt), and her mother with whom she was very close. As a means of therapy, Chopin took up writing and her ideas about feminism and death are very clear. In “The Story of An Hour,” Chopin uses multiple symbols and an allusion to a Greek god to illustrate and support the idea that male oppression harms the souls and lives of women.

In “The Story of an Hour,” Louise understands happiness as the ability to live for, yourself and not someone else. This realization comes,

In the short story, “The Story of an Hour,” author Kate Chopin presents the character of Mrs. Louis Mallard. She is an unhappy woman trapped in her discontented marriage. Unable to assert herself or extricate herself from the relationship, she endures it. The news of the presumed death of her husband comes as a great relief to her, and for a brief moment she experiences the joys of a liberated life from the repressed relationship with her husband. The relief, however, is short lived. The shock of seeing him alive is too much for her bear and she dies. The meaning of life and death take on opposite meaning for Mrs. Mallard in her marriage because she lacked the courage to stand up for herself.

In “The Story of an Hour,” independence was forbidden and only could be dreamed of. When Louise hears that her husband is dead, she feels relived. She realizes that she is now and independent woman and becomes happy. She even whispers the word “free,” “When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breathe: “free, free, free!” The vacant

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin is a short yet complex story, describing Mrs Mallard’s feelings. It focuses on the unfolding emotional state of Mrs Mallard after the news of her husbands death, and has overflowing symbolism and imagery. It is an impressive literary piece that touches the readers’ feelings and mind and allows the reader to have a connection to Mrs Mallard’s emotional process. Although the story is short, it is complete with each word carrying deep sense and meaning. It is written in the 19th century, a time that had highly restrictive gender roles that forbade women to live as they saw fit. Mrs Mallard experiences something not everyone during this time has the luck to have; the happiness of freedom that the reader only

A controversial story during the 1890s, Kate Chopin, “A Story of an Hour,” provides an inside look of a woman who just found out her husband has died in a railroad incident. The story takes place in one hour, hints the title, from the time the protagonist, Louise Mallard, is informed her husband has died to the shocking ending. This short story is consider one the first pro-feminist stories and was consider controversial due to the fact that the protagonist feels liberated by the news of her husband’s death. Today I will be discussing how the author tells the story and how she brings light to a problem that is still a problem in today’s world. I will analyze Louise reaction, Louise revelation, and lastly the authors descriptions.

The Story of an Hour revolves around a woman named Louise Mallard who has heart trouble. When her sister Josephine breaks the news to her that her husband was a part of a lethal train accident, Louise does not take the news well and locks herself in her room. While in solitude, she looks out an open window. She sees trees, smells approaching rain, and hears a peddler yelling out what he’s selling. She realizes with the death of her husband brought her a freedom. She could now live for herself. She opens the door and is met with her sister who helps her walk down the stairs. Once they almost make it down however, the door swings open and in walks her husband who was presumed to have died. Louise then has a fatal heart attack right then and there in surprise and joy at seeing her husband once again.

The late nineteenth century short story “Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin is an influential story about a young women with a heart condition, Mrs. Mallard who receives the news that her husband had just passed away in a train wreck. While receiving this news she soon becomes overwhelmed and excuses herself upstairs to her bedroom, where her attitude towards the death of her husband drastically changes. Though she is upset about her husband’s sudden death, she realizes she now has something to be joyful about. When she is “facing the open window, [in] a comfortable, roomy armchair” (Chopin, 1894, para. 4) she recognizes the importance of her freedom from the confinement of her husband and the future opportunities that await her. Kate Chopin uses symbols and imagery of springtime through the “open window” to express the feelings Mrs. Mallard known as Louise experiences.

Kate Chopin wrote the short story “The Story of an Hour” in the late nineteenth century. The main character, Mrs. Mallard, is a representation of all of the women of that time. Although they may be in relationships where their husbands treat them well, it is not enough. All most women want is their freedom and independence. They want to do as they please and not be dependent on their husband or their family. Women in that time were simply not allowed to be independent or have their own freedom. Before a woman is married she is known to belong to her family, and when she is married, she belongs to her husband. This is why Mrs. Mallard was actually more delighted than devastated when she heard the news of her husband being killed in a train accident. The news of her husband’s death “brings tears of release rather than of grief” (Harris). The theme of this short story is freedom and independence but at a cost. There are many shocking turns of events throughout Kate Chopin’s short story which leads to Mrs. Mallard gaining her freedom, gaining her independence, and then losing them both.

In “the Story of an Hour,” the woman gains a feeling of freedom. Louise is told by two people close to her, Josephine and Richard, that her husband Brently died in an accident. She reacts with grief, like any wife would, but she does it violently. Soon she began to realize that she was actually alone. She realized she was free, she didn’t have to worry about anyone but herself. This sort of freedom is viewed as individuality; a feeling of being one, not controlled by someone or something. After being with someone for so long, people begin to feel trapped; like they can’t

One of the forerunners for woman’s rights in modern literature, known through most literary circles, is Kate Chopin. However, she also wrote in a time where it was merely a dream for a woman to be full liberated from man, only obtainable upon the death of either the man or the women herself. “The Story of an Hour” is a short story about a woman (Mrs. Mallard) who finds out that her husband has passed away. She has a brief time filled with grief and enlightenment, only to find out that her husband was never dead. Chopin takes a moment to integrate that Mrs. Mallard is perceived as a weak person, not only physically but mentally, “Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was

In “The story of an hour”, Kate Chopin denounces women’s inferior household status through Mrs. Mallard’s drastic change of emotions in an hour. But people at that time, including women themselves, take it for granted as a part of social norm. Chopin’s masterful use of characterization, irony, motif and appellation points out the hidden gender inequity for women in nineteenth century. A feminism lens is especially useful for understanding this short story.

Kate Chopin’s short story, “The Story of an Hour (1894),” portrays that the confinements placed on women due to gender roles was unjust. Chopin illustrates this through the progression of Mrs. Mallard's emotions and thoughts after learning of her husband's supposed death, as well as alluding to their form of marriage. Chopin's purpose is to point out how unjust woman were treated in society in order to bring about change on such treatment. Given the time period, Chopin dedicated her short story to women and fellow feminists.

Kate Chopin’s dramatic short story “Story of an Hour” demonstrates to the reader a woman’s inner struggle of the contrasting emotions after the death of her husband. Mrs. Mallard becomes aware of the death of her husband and is stricken with grief. The grief is short lived after she is overcome of the awareness of her happiness of finally achieving independence. Finally, her grief and happiness come to a head and the contrasting emotions cost Mrs. Mallard her life. The poem “Strong Independent Woman” illustrates the same need for women independence that Mrs. Mallard faces. The poem and the short story both express the need for women to have independence for themselves and to achieve their own happiness.