The Story of an Hour

One of the reasons I was drown into reading "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin is that it is revolting and interesting. After finding out about her husband's death, Ms. Mallard seems sad for a brief second, and then excitement overtakes her mind. Even though the author does not say that her husband was abusive, the fact that Ms. Mallard feels oppressed is enough for her to want freedom.

The first line in the story the author allows us to build a visual of the physical state that Ms. Mallard was in; Chopin states (1894) "Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death." The purpose of Chopin making this statement is to allow the audience to feel a sense of grief of the news that Ms. Mallard is about to receive. It first allows me to think of an older woman that may die of a broken heart from losing her husband.

In a twist of events Ms. Mallard mood changes immediately, from having a sense of sadness to almost excitement in a blink of an eye. The author never physically states that Ms. Mallard's husband was abusive but the statement Chopin writes reflects a different story of Ms. Mallards life, "When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: "free, free, free" (Smith, 2011)!

Chopin then begins to symbolize different views of Ms. Mallard imagining her freedom. One of the main things Chopin does to imply this new found freedom is using words like open, and having Ms. Mallard repeat "free" multiple times. Although Ms. Mallard was excited about this new freedom she knew when she saw her husband's face again she would weep; "but she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome "(Smith, 2011).

Although her sister Josephine was worried Louise locking herself in the room and making herself sick. Louise was dreaming of future of freedom and joy! I think I this point in the story I still felt a sense of relief for Ms. Mallard because I continued to think of the life she felt she had before her husband's death. Chopin paints a picture of an abusive woman finally finding a way out. Reading the story allowed me to smile but feel sad at the same time for life of Louise, but for the loss of losing a loved one.

Chopin finally buries the excitement by having Ms. Mallards husband return home. When Brently returns, Ms. Mallard dies, unable to face the return to a life she hated so much. From the beginning of the story when Chopin states that Ms. Mallard has heart problems, I feel like the story ended the way it should have started.

One of the analytical approaches I used to support my interpretation was, after Ms. Mallard found out about