The Story of an Hour (1894) by Kate Chopin - Essay Example

The Story of an Hour" (1894) by Kate Chopin Mrs. Mallard was born into a time when women were treated as second citizens. She had no property or wealth other than what her husband gave to her. Mrs. Mallard is a sympathetic character because she is a woman who tasted the first part of freedom, only to have it taken away from her when she finds that her husband is alive. Mrs. Mallard is, in a sense, a victim of her circumstances. However, she is a woman who thinks beyond her problems and would finally have had the freedom that she longed for had her husband not shown up.

"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin is a story about the plight of women at a time when men were the only ones who were seen to be important. When she first hears the news of her husband's death, she is excited. Although she cried when she first heard the information, she was happy about it at the same time. The narrative states, "She said it over and over under the breath: "free, free, free!" (1). She was at that moment beginning to realize that she was free of the challenges with her husband.

As a widow, she would be able to live her life as she wanted, and the property and wealth would go to her. She was beginning to enjoy the idea of freedom. As an example, when she looked out into the open square from the opened window, she saw the treetops "that were all aquiver with the new spring life" (1). It was interesting that she noticed this because it symbolized her "new life" without her husband. As she imagined her husband in his casket, she knew that she would weep again, but it would not be out of grief; instead it would be from relief.

She understood her freedom as the narrative states, "…a long profession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely," "There would be no one to live for in those coming years", and "there would be no powerful will bending hers …" (2). All of these statements show that she was relieved by the fact that she was finally going to be free from living in the shadow of her husband. The reader can empathize with her when she repeats over and over to herself, "Free! Body and soul free!" (2) And the reader begins to feel happy for her because she deserves to be free from the "bondage" that her husband had created.

It is also clear that Mrs. Mallard was the perfect wife who was born and bread to be like other women of her day: subservient to men and staying in her place. However, as she continues to think about how much she has to look forward to, the reader can almost see her doing a little joy dance. The story builds the reader to a climax as Mrs. Mallard continues to move forward with her visualizations and her giddiness. Her sister Josephine mistakenly thinks that Mrs. Mallard is headed for a nervous breakdown when she realizes that Mrs.

Mallard has been in her room for almost an hour. The story builds to the top of its climax with the statement: She arose at length and opened the door to her sister's importunities. There was a feverish triumph in her eyes, and she carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory. She clasped her sister's waist, and together they descended the stairs. Richards stood waiting for them at the bottom (2). This paragraph was my favorite paragraph I think because the reader can visually see this woman happy, ready to move on with her life and standing tall next to her sister.

The point that Chopin is making is that marriage is not always the greatest thing for all people. Women are often seen as less than in our current society as well as when this story was written. When Mrs. Mallard dies in the end, it is the only thing that could happen for someone who was totally out of bondage and than realized that they would have to go back to bondage. This incredible feeling of freedom could not do anything but kill her because the thought of going back to the woman she was before her husband's "death" was too much.

"The joy that kills" was not the reason that Mrs. Mallard died. Instead, it was the loss of joy at finally being free -- so, she had to find a different way to be free.