72) These unbelievably radical words show her enormous hunger for freedom, her strong wish to be herself again. Her husband sudden death has made her lifetime emotional torment come to an end, and she can be as free as a man now. On the other hand, Mrs. Mallard may cry again for the loss of her oving husband not only because of her gender role in the society, but for he still loves her and she herself had loved him as well. Moreover, the story does not tell us whether Mr. Mallard is an abusive or irresponsible husband, but this couple certainly strives for maintaining their unsatisfactory marriage. Besides, no love or security can compensate for a lack of control over her own existence (Skaggs, 53), let alone the fact that there is hardly any love in that fragile relationship.
The initial symbol of fire disguised her mother's mental collapse; where as the symbol of passion did so for Antoinette. Ironically enough, the opposites collide in the closing stages, as fire leads to Antoinette's physical demise, and the passion of Annette's consistent sexual abuse leads to hers. Although many place the blame upon the greedy and uncanny English husbands, it is certain that such incapable mental conditions are a dominant trait throughout the family. The theme of fire and passion ignite this story, and engulf Antoinette as a whole. They describe her and contrast her being to that of her mothers.
Louise seems to be a paradox of sorts; she is passionate, but repressed. This leads the reader to wonder if maybe Louise has been controlled or repressed by her husband. A little further in the story, this is confirmed even further by the Louise's later response to her husbands death. Louise begins to become joyful at the thought of being alone. When she begins to feel this joyful free feeling, the word "abandonment" is used suggesting that Louise has felt trapped in some way.
In “The Story of an Hour,” by Kate Chopin creates a theme of heartbreak and shows this through independence that is a forbidden pleasure. When Louise hears from Josephine and Richards about Brently’s, her husband's, death, she reacts with obvious agony. Louise then starts to realize that she is now an independent woman, and at this realization she becomes excited to her new found independence. Even though these are her private thoughts, she at first tries the joy she feels, to “beat it back with her will—as powerless as her two white slender hands would have been.” ( 1 ). With this, it shows that if you hold something back for so long, with how the forbidden this pleasure can be so appealing.
Can love be so cruel that causes a lover to die? Depression is common among patients with heart attacks. In the short story, "The Story of an Hour," by Katie Chopin. As the author tells us about a sticky wife who dies after seeing her husband alive whom her mind was dead from a railroad accident. Once she heard about her husband 's death she imagines a whole life of freedom and a way out of a loveless marriage.
It is also clear that dramatic irony is a part of the story. Louise dies from the shock of seeing her husband who is supposed to be dead. The doctors say she died from "the joy that kills." The reader knows Louise was the furthest thing from joy when she saw Mr. Mallard. When Louise got the news of her husband’s death she started crying at once in her sisters arms.
We expect her to feel even more pain and ill after hearing about her husband’s tragic death. The physical heart problems that Mrs. Mallard is afflicted with symbolize her emotional heart problems of her uncertainty of her marriage and her unhappiness with her lack of freedom. Her weakened heart begins to race as she reflects on her new life—her new life of freedom and independence. Joy pumps through her body and the thought of her being free to live the life she wants and not in the shadow of her husband anymore fills her with... ... middle of paper ... ...eal hour of independence—The Story of an Hour. Works Cited Chopin, Kate.
Therefore, the moment Mrs. Mallard does turn away from the open window and leaves the room she was in, her new revelation that her husband is alive, that all of her endless possibilities were shattered and that her independence was short-lived makes her die out of disappointment. Ironically enough, instead of being the one to survive, she is the one that is dying, suffering from a tragic heart attack just as the beginning of the story
Death after Freedom Written by Kate Chopin, the short story “The Story of an Hour” follows Louise Mallard, a woman from the nineteenth century who has just received the news that her husband, Brently Mallard, has passed away in a horrific train accident. Immediately Mrs. Mallard is overcome with grief and sorrow, but her mood quickly shifts when she realizes the independence and free-will she will now have. At the climax of her elation for the future, her husband walks through the door. Mrs. Mallard, shocked and speechless, dies of a heart attack. In the short story, "The Story of an Hour," author Kate Chopin utilizes symbolism, diction, and irony to emphasize the effects of Mrs. Mallard's newfound sense of freedom, and how that ultimately results in her death.
She begins to think about his death and then she finds all the opportunities that are ahead of her. She wants... ... middle of paper ... ...ally wasn’t, and seeing him literally killed her. The doctors said it was the “ joy that kills”, but the reality of the situation is that the fact that her freedom was ripped away without even getting to live it broke her heart to the point of a death. Spring was the hope of a new life and the happiness that she found after the “death” of her husband. The armchair was where she got to rest her exhausted soul and where she was comforted.