Freedom In Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour

His death is seen as the beginn... ... middle of paper ... ...ge that she does not wish to be in. This woman suffers a tremendous amount from the commitment of her marriage, that the death of her husband does not affect her for long. A marriage such as this seems so unbelievable, yet a reader could see the realistic elements incorporated into the story. This begs the question of how undesirable marriage was during Chopin’s life. The unhappiness felt by Mrs. Mallard seems to be very extreme, but Chopin creates a beautiful story that reflects upon the idea of marriage as an undesired relationship and bond to some women in the nineteenth century.

That shows us how love can turn on the insanity of human. In “The Story of an Hour”, Mrs. Mallard felt joyful but not depressed after her husband died since she can get freedom from this. That shows us how love kill and bury romance of relationship. Therefore, people think marriage is the graveyard of the romance and I think this is true after I read these stories since there are strong examples in these stories and make me think why people still maintain this system even they afraid of

The irony of the ending is that Louise Mallard doesn’t die of joy as the doctor claim, but actually from the loss of joy. Specially, her husband’s death gives her a glimpse of a new life, and when that new life is swiftly taken away, the shock and disappointment kill her. The joy Mrs. Mallard actually felt was the idea of relief of being free from the bonds of marriage and the hope of living her life for her o... ... middle of paper ... ...ndreds, women were not allowed to be persons of their own, but were looked up as a shadow of their husbands. In those days, they were to be stay at home mothers and to abide by the rules that were set by their husbands. The writer brought out the truth of what married women were expected to abide by in the late eighteen hundreds.

Mallard is alive and breathing, yet very much dead. Mrs. Mallard carrying “herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory” after hearing of what should have been the biggest upset of her life is sickening (Chopin 13). To have a “feverish triumph in her eyes” when looking forward to a future without her husband, confirms that she feels as if she has won through the loss of her husband (Chopin 14). Her heart did not beat with love and respect for her husband, as it should have. Rather her “pulse beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body” at the chance to live without him (Chopin 14).

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. Mrs. Mallard’s repressed married life is a secret that she keeps to herself. She is not open and honest with her sister Josephine who has shown nothing but concern.

The confinement being Mrs. Mallard’s marriage and the unexpected death of her husband being the key to her release into freedom. This freedom is quickly taken away when she finds out that her husband is very much alive sending Mrs. Mallard over the edge, causing her weak heart to give out from the overwhelming loss of her new found freedom. Chopin is able to show a main stream issue that women of the past faced by showing how woman once felt trapped in marriages and were not able to have that feeling of self-awareness. After Mrs. Mallard was able to feel the sensation of self-awareness, having it taken away was devastating and ultimately fatal (Women and

In Kate Chopin’s short story, “The Story of an Hour”, the author shows us the response of a young woman to her husband’s presumed death. Before the news, the widow, Mrs. Mallard, felt trapped in a situation she found to be inescapable. Her marriage made her feel as though her will wasn’t really her own, that she wasn’t really free. However, when the news of her husband’s death reaches her, she finally begins to feel that she has a chance to be free. During her mingled exaltation and grief, it occurred to her that “[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” (189).

As Chopin mentions, “She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with shudder that life might be long”(497). Just the thought of having a long life in your marriage makes you shudder shows that Mrs. Mallard was not happy in her marriage. Mrs. Mallard was happy about living a long life once she accepted the fact of freedom once her husband died. As Cathryn Hunter mentions, “The serious and wide-ranging negative effects that relationship distress can have on individuals”(55).

To her, her life is terrible but she is constantly portrayed as a heartless woman who seems to be overjoyed by her husband’s death. Mrs. Mallard although viewed as inhumane, is actually more humane than most people would want to believe. While her actions seem questionable or even maybe harsh; but they are far from what is perceived. What readers need to think about is what it was like for women during those times. “The story itself presents a valid argument in favor of Louise as she is portrayed as the oppressed wife finally set free after her husband's death.” (Marquand) In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, she uses the feeling of bondage and true freedom through Mrs. Mallard, to show how women can be trapped in a restrictive relationship because of society's beliefs.

Her memory of running away from her Father and church when she was a young girl living in Kentucky shows how desperate she is to be free. However, Edna gives up her hopes of freedom for marriage in the hopes that all will fall into place afterwards. Edna’s expectation that marriage and children is proven false when she still is not happy with her life afterwards. She feels that life is worthless and that there should be more to what she is. Edna is not like the other creole mothers; she holds an affection for her children, but it comes and goes.