Louise Mallard's Death

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In The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin tells the story of a woman named Louise Mallard. From the beginning of the story the reader is told that Mrs. Mallard is afflicted with a heart condition. Knowing this, breaking the news of her husbands death will be traumatizing to Mrs. Mallard unless it is delivered gently. However, once Mrs. Mallard is informed of this terrible news, she skips all the stages of grief, and only mourns for a relatively short period of time. She then reveals that she is not sad, but happy because she is “free”. The overarching theme of woman's oppression in marriage is shown predominantly through Louise's heart trouble. As well as being a physical problem, Mrs. Mallards heart disease encompasses emotional stress of a loved…show more content…
Mallard's heart troubles is her quick grief. Mrs. Mallard only briefly grieves her Brently Mallard's death, and then is almost immediately happy again. Mrs. Mallard could sense an unknown emotion overcoming her grief, "There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. ... it was too subtle and elusive to name. But she felt it, creeping out of the sky..." (Chopin 246). Grieving her husbands death so quickly could be considered a “heart problem” because society supposes that a woman should be distraught for an extensive time, especially after such a tragic death. Mrs. Mallard has a revelation of her freedom and independence, which may mean that she might not have fancied her husband as much as people…show more content…
Mallards heart problems could be her new sense of freedom and independence after Brently Mallard's death. The narrator of the story states “There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds…” (Chopin 246). The symbol of the sky peeking through the clouds explain Mrs. Mallard's emotions. One could compare this analogy to 'every cloud has a silver lining' in that even though it is clear that Mrs Mallard is distraught upon first hearing of the death of her husband, there seems to be another emotion building. At the end of The Story of an Hour, the reader realizes that the feeling Louise was describing is newfound independence and freedom. Louise certainly loved her husband, but she knew that while they were married she could never truly be independent and happy. As Louise realizes that true happiness is now attainable, Mrs. Mallard has found something positive in something that, in the beginning, seemed heartbreakingly tragic. The reader also sees this through how Mrs. Mallard grieves over the death for such a short time, then she stops abruptly after she looks out the window and sees the blue sky peeking though the clouds. After she sees the sky, she begins to show happiness and brighten up. The narrator writes, “She said it over and over under her breath: “free, free, free!” The vacant star and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes... Her pulse beat fast... coursing blood warmed and relaxed every
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