author's ability to establish compressed intensity in a very short story. The revelation of multiple emotions is effectively expressed throughout this entire piece. This short story has a lot of iconicity and symbolism throughout. Ms. Chopin begins her writing with feelings of anxiety and fear. Next, the author successfully illustrates an immense perception of sympathy and remorse mixed with sadness and despair. The ending is the ultimate twist of fate.
The main character of Kate Chopin's story is Mrs. Mallard and she is depicted as a fragile older woman with a heart condition. Josephine, Mrs. Mallard's sister, and Richards, Mr. Mallard’s close friend, have the unfortunate responsibility to somehow gently break the news of Mr. Mallard's tragic death to his lovely wife. The hesitancy and cautiousness of revealing this awful news, places the reader with instant feelings of anxiousness and sympathetic despair. Mrs. Mallard's instant weeping reaction gave all the more reason for careful explanation concerning Mr. Mallard's unexpected departure.
The remarkable use of sensory imagery assists in expressing Mrs. Mallard's next emotional battle. Mrs. Mallard is overcome with enlightenment shortly after hearing of her husband's death. She is left with a warm feeling and utters under her breath "free, free, free," as she passively revisits her life with the newly deceased. Mrs. Mallard ponders cheerful thoughts of future experiences awaiting her arrival. There is also symbolism in the fact that when Mrs. Mallard looked out her window and saw patches of blue sky, it was almost like a new beginning. Ms. Chopin states near the end that “she (Mrs. Mallard) was drinking in a very elixir of life through that open window.” Josephine quietly and somewhat patiently waits for her sister to...