Freytag in the Story of an Hour

English A IB 2

Maria Poimenidou

Freytag’s Pyramid in ‘The Story of an Hour’

        The exposition is the general description at the beginning of the story which sets the scene. In the Story of an Hour we can identify the exposition throughout the first three paragraphs; “Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with …. would have no one follow her.” In these paragraphs, the setting, the characters and the tone are presented to us. We understand that the setting is in Mrs. Mallard's house, “she went away to her room” and we see that her house is of upper middle class because of the description of comfortable and luxurious rooms, “a comfortable roomy armchair”.  The main character is Mrs. Mallard as everything revolves around her feelings and actions but we also meet her sister, Josephine, her husband's friend, Richard and off course her 'dead' husband, Brently Mallard. We understand, that Mrs. Mallard does not work or goes outside the house a lot because she hadn't heard the news of her husbands death and we understand that her husband must have a wealthy job in order to sustain both of them in a luxurious house. Lastly, from the exposition we can understand the tone of the story, which is a very sober one.

        The inciting moment, is often a single event that marks the beginning of the main problem or conflict in a story. In the story the inciting moment is starts in the beginning of the second page, “She was young, with a fair, calm face … was waiting for it, fearfully.” We understand that this is the inciting moment because of the appearance of conflicts. Mrs. Mallard's is under some kind of 'repression' as her face lines show and she is starting to realize it. We understand that she must feel limited in the house since she is intelligent but she has no means to use it. Mrs. Mallard is thinking about her emotions and trying to realize what her husband's death means to her and we understand that there must be some kind of resentment towards him. The conflicts in this short story is between the Mrs. Mallard and herself and Mrs. Mallard and her destiny.

        The rising action is the part of the story where a series of events get more exciting or complicated. The action starts with the inciting moment and gains interest as opposing forces in the story come into conflict in the rising action. The rising action is present from “When she abandoned herself a little whispered word… she kept whispering.” In these last paragraphs of the second page, the conflicts untie and we can realize what is happening. We see a woman that is trapped in her marriage, which limits her capabilities and actions but cannot rebel because of the formalities of her times. Her fate was set, she was to marry a rich man and stay in the house and take care of her family. The other conflict is within herself. She realizes that now she doesn't have to be that wife that does what she is told but she can 'live for herself'. She is confused and cannot clear her feelings. She is happy that she is free but also is debating with her self it is the correct thing to feel. As the story develops, we witness the empowerment of Mrs. Mallard and her decision of choosing happiness for what is yet to come.