Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour

The Story of an Hour,” was written on April 19, 1894 by Kate Chopin. It was first published in Vogue, in December of 1894, under the title, “The Dreams of an Hour.” The title describes the last hour of Mrs. Mallard’s life (Wang).

The first time I viewed “The Story of an Hour,” I did not understand the underlying message within the story. I just understood how Richard’s wife had died of a heart attack, but I did not understand the statement after that, “…of joy that kills.” (Chopin). The more research I did, the more I realized the irony within the story. Louise finds out that her husband has passed away from a train accident, and her reaction is quite surprising. She accepts the news and goes to her room to be alone, and it is here we see the world through her eyes. This world is full of new life. She gets comfortable in a chair, and looks out her window, but one cannot help to wonder why she is so comfortable in this situation, and not beating the furniture instead (Institution). Then we see how Louise views her life without her husband as she whispers, “Free! Body and soul free!” (Chopin). Louise realized her husband

Mallard's weaknesses seem to be a result of psychological repression rather than truly physiological factors (Wang). The story concludes by attributing Mrs. Mallard's death to heart disease, where the doctor says Louise’s heart disease is "the joy that kills." (Wang). This last phrase is purposefully ironic, as Louise must have felt both joy and extreme disappointment at her husband’s return (Wang). Regaining her husband, and all of the loss of freedom her marriage entails caused this sudden overwhelment which could have led to the heart attack, or heart disease. The line establishes that Louise's heart condition is more of a metaphor for her emotional state than a medical reality