Causal Analysis Story of an Hour - Essay Example

?Casual Analysis Why was Mrs. Mallard so happy after she found out that her husband had died? In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, Mrs. Mallard was happy after her husband had died because she had felt smothered by their marriage union. Unable to conform to the expectations of her society, Mrs. Mallard had become unhappy in her marriage, feeling trapped and without any other options to free herself from her marriage. After she learned that her husband had died in a terrific train accident, she began to feel a sense of relief at the thought of finally being back on her own after all of these years. Mrs. Mallard, though quite enthralled in the early days of her marriage, missed living for herself. She had become used to relying on herself for her happiness and the necessities required in life, and this was something that she had not been keen to give up when she became married. However, she fell in love and attempted to make the marriage work. Unfortunately, many years and a family later, Mrs. Mallard felt that nothing mattered except this legally binding connection that she had with her husband. After finding out that Mr. Mallard had died, it became clear to Mrs. Mallard that all she would have to worry about now was herself. “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself (Chopin).” She was suddenly looking at many future years devoted to herself; this thought calmed her and brought her a sense of peace and contentment. There was no doubt that Mrs. Mallard had loved her husband. She was dedicated to tending to the needs of her husband, even though it did not bring her any sort of joy. Everything that she did for her husband was done in attempts to appease the expectations set down by society. During the era that the short story is set in, it was a woman’s job to make a home for herself, her husband, and her children. It was not a want, desire, or something that was undergone simply to make a husband happy, but it was considered the obligation of a woman to marry and to take care of her husband. As such, the only connection a woman had to any sense of the outside world was through her husband. The only reason that Mrs. Mallard was married was because it was expected of her, and she would be looked down upon if she remained single or petitioned for a divorce from her husband. She lost her identity as an individual, and she grew tired of being connected to her husband. However, since she no longer had a husband because he died, as opposed to any other reason, Mrs. Mallard would be free to be a widow, a free woman. Similarly, when Mrs. Mallard became married, her will was no longer her own. In essence, she was the property of her husband. In the 1800s, the time that the story was written, women had to answer to their husbands (Galens). They were required to obey the man of the house. As soon as Mrs. Mallard said her wedding vows, she ceased to be her own person. Her own wants, needs, and desires became obsolete as her husband’s wants, needs, and desires were considered to be more important. Mrs. Mallard also did not have a say in the majority of what went on in the marriage. When Mrs. Mallard believed that Mr. Mallard had died, widowing the woman, Mrs. Mallard greatest thrill was realizing that her will was, once again, her own. “There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature (Chopin).” She was allowed to be her own individual person, answering to nobody but herself. Finally, another reason that Mrs. Mallard was happy to hear that her husband had died was because it meant that Mrs. Mallard no longer had to be tied down. Not only would she no longer be tied down to her husband, but his supposed death would also severe the ties that Mrs. Mallard had with the expectations of society. Instead of growing used to the marriage and all that came with, Mrs. Mallard grew used to the concept that she was being tied down. She was not her own person, she was not allowed to exercise her own free will, and she had expectations and responsibilities that she did not believe in but was almost required to follow. All of this came back to the fact that she was a married woman; in a sense, her husband was to blame for everything negative that Mrs. Mallard felt. With the thought of no longer having a husband, Mrs. Mallard would have no ties, and would then be able to focus only on herself. “But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely (Chopin).” Mrs. Mallard would be free to be the center of her own world for a change, enjoying her own life without having to consider the needs of her husband, or if her actions would be disapproving to someone else. It is often believed that Mrs. Mallard’s happiness in regard to her husband’s death was the fact that she was in denial, and in shock at the thought of losing her husband (Smith). Mrs. Mallard’s first response to hearing that her husband had died was to cry. She mourned just as any newly widowed woman would. Her happiness was a result of not knowing how to respond to such horrible, devastating news. However, while she may have been briefly upset at the loss of her husband, and she may have been in shock, the shock was due to the fact that she was now looking at many husband-free years. After so many years of unhappiness and pretending to be the doting housewife, she was unsure of how to respond to the first breaths of life as a free woman. It was almost a dream come true, a reality that she was afraid to accept in fear that it might be ripped from her if she dared to truly believe it. It is also believed that Mrs. Mallard was sincerely upset at her husband’s death when she died herself at the sight of him walking through the front door. This goes with the concept that she had mourned his death and was truly missing him. After mourning his death, it was too much for her already weakened heart to see that he was actually alive. It was the shock of seeing him still alive and well that killed her. Nevertheless, it was indeed shock that killed her, but the shock of realizing that the miraculous freedom that she had just grasped had been ripped from her almost as quickly as it had been obtained. She had built up the excitement of freedom and self-love in her heart that realizing it was no longer possible was too much for her to handle. “When the doctors came, they said she had died of heart disease -- of joy that kills (Chopin).” The joy was not the joy of seeing her that her husband was still alive, but rather the loss of joy at her impending freedom becoming obsolete. Mrs. Mallard’s happiness at her husband’s death was not, as many think, a response of shock or denial at her husband being dead. Mrs. Mallard was truly happy, not so much that her husband had died in a horrific accident, but at the thought of having a life free of commitment and focusing on somebody other than herself -- which came along with her husband’s death. While many women responded well to marriage during those times, understanding and accepting that it was an expectation of them set down by society, Mrs. Mallard was wary of taking on such responsibilities that she neither believed in nor really wanted. She still adhered to what was expected of her, but at the chance of freedom, Mrs. Mallard became excited and hopeful. Losing the freedom bestowed upon her by her husband’s death, unfortunately, led to her own death, thus bringing her a different kind of freedom. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." Washington State University. N.p., 18 Dec. 1998. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. . Galens, David. "The Theme of Female Self-Assertion." Class Jump. N.p., 26 May 2002. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. . Smith, Nicole. "Analysis of "Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin: Themes of Language, Marriage and Emotion." Article Myriad. N.p., 14 July 2010. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. . Read More