She is a middle aged woman with heart trouble, and bad news was about to come her way of the “possible death of her husband” (Chopin, 1894, para.1). Mrs. Mallard was a lady who was possibly controlled in her life by her husband. “When hearing the news of the death, she wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in Josephine’s arms” (Chopin, 1894, para.3). I can feel the attachment that she had with her husband, but wept once also shows maybe some antipathy. Mrs. Mallard made her way to her room and stared out her window to watch her new life take fold.
Leslie Knox Ms. Baldwin English 3/ Period 6 2 March 2013 The Story of an Hour Essay In the story, The Story of an Hour, by Kate Chopin, there is a woman with a heart condition that receives bad news. She deals with thenews in a different way than most people would. At first she js sad, but then she realizes she is happy. At the end of the storythere is a major twist. The woman, Mrs. Mallard, is told by her sister Josephine and her husbands friend Richards, that her husband Brently Mallard has been killed in a railroad accodent at work.
We are left to see that the window is a representation of Louise’s life to come after the death of Mr. Mallard. Louise’s heart trouble is both a physical and symbolic disorder that represents her uncertainty within her marriage and her unhappiness with the lack of freedom in it. Her heart condition is one of the first things we learn about in the story. “Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death” (168). That is why Josephine became so worried
It wasn’t until the second time I read the story that I realized Mrs. Mallard was relieved when she heard the news of her husband` s death. The actions and words Mrs. Mallard portrayed proved this point. The author leaves the reader to almost make a story of their own by leaving out details and allowing the reader to add their own. To prove this, in the beginning of the short story, the reader gets the impression that this woman is going to be extremely upset that her husband has died in a train accident. Her closest friends and family come to her to easily break the news of her husband` s recent death.
Through the struggles of this character, the reader experiences the different stages of grieving and the ultimate cost of heartbreak. The story opens with a description of how the characters were very tactful in breaking the news of the death of Mr. Mallard to Mrs. Mallard on the account of Mrs. Mallard’s heart trouble. Richard, Mr. Mallard’s friend, hastens to announce the dreadful news with tender care. Yet, her sister, Josephine, is the one who gently breaks the news to her. These precautions were taken out of the fear of the possible impact of the devastating news on her already fragile health.
Thus, there is irony of her emotions at the realization of her freedom then the discovery of her husband being alive followed by her own death. The plot of “The Story of an Hour” starts with the setting of Mrs. Mallard learning of the death of her husband, her instant grief to the terrible news, and how she handles her emotions. She then makes her way to her room to reflect on her thoughts of what has happened going from grieving to joyful feelings. As she is looking out the window there are signs of spring in the air with fresh start of the tree buds, rain in the air, and the sounds of sparrows and people living outside (Chopin, 1894 as cited in Clugston, 2010). This new beginning of the spring season coincides with Mrs. Mallard’s feelings of freedom from the restraint of being married.
But Josephine honestly thought she would be really upset to hear the news. Yes, "she wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, "but it's the first reaction to the news, without comprehension of what happened and how her life has now change. (Chopin 516) Mrs. Mallards starts to comprehend the news later on in the story as the author tells little by little how she comes to realize it. She goes to her room, "there stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair. Into the she sank "to point out another symbol "There were patches... west facing her window."
The Story of an Hour Essay "The Story of an Hour" is a short story written by Kate Chopin. It's about a woman named Louise, a sickly wife who briefly believes her husband is dead and imagines a whole new life of freedom for herself. To conclude, people long for freedom after a series of tragic events in their life. With these literal elements, symbolism and Imagery the reader can assume what the feeling was like when Louise was set free. Chopin uses Imagery to contrasts the series of emotions Louise Mallard endures while going through mixed emotions about her husband’s death.
Freedom in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an hour” “The secret of happiness is freedom” - Carrie Jones 2008, Need. The short story “The Story of an Hour” clearly illustrates this quote in this story. That happiness is the key to freedom. One major theme in Chopin’s story is freedom. In the beginning of the story, Mr. Mallard receives devastating news that her husband has died in a railroad disaster.
Mallard,” as being “afflicted with a heart trouble.” Her sister Josephine and her husband’s friend Richards have to therefore tell her very carefully that her husband, Brently Mallard, was on a list of those killed in a railroad accident. Then the narrative continues with a description of Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to the news: first, immediately weeping with “wild abandonment,” forgoing the initial shock and denial of “many women,” then absconding to her room alone, where at first she sits facing the window. Here, the author uses imagery of the outdoors, including trees “all aquiver with the new spring life,” the smell of spring rain, patches of blue sky, and birdsong, to first hint at new opportunities to come. Then we are told Mrs. Mallard sits “motionless,” with “a dull stare,” without thought, presumably a remnant of her stagnation in marriage. The story continues with climactic suspense as it is revealed that there is “something coming to her” that is frightening her, but she doesn’t know what it is.