Story Of An Hour Literary Analysis Essay

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Unit 4 Writing Assignment: The Bondage of Benevolence In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”, Ms. Mallard is delivered the news of the unexpected death of her husband, Brently Mallard, in the comfort of her home. Grief immediately overcomes her as she retires to her bedroom and gazes out the open window. An internal storm of emotions passes through her, and with a victorious resolution, Mrs. Mallard leaves her bedroom. Upon the use of a latchkey in the front door, Mrs. Mallard is faced with living presence of her husband, Brently Mallard. Forthwith, she drops dead. Though love, comfort, friends, and security appear to endow us with all the life-sustaining and nurturing elements, as they do Mrs. Mallard, without freedom to choose our own…show more content…
In the very first paragraph we are presented with the symbol of the conflict, Mrs. Mallards “heart trouble” (Chopin). Heart trouble can be lived with for years treated properly; however if the real cause for the heart trouble is not addressed, a person will not have a long life and often drops dead. This symbol of heart trouble while giving the physical attribute that Mrs. Mallard has a deadly, tangible heart ailment, also alludes to the fact that Mrs. Mallard has an internal soul…show more content…
Mrs. Mallard drops dead at the sight of the Brently Mallard. Her physical death symbolized the death of her will, her freedom, and future identity. When we lose our identity, we feel as though we don’t exist, while often questioning “Who am I?” and “Why am I living?”. Without an identity we often lose our purpose. We might as well be dead. Chopin uses dramatic irony when the doctors proclaim, “she had died of heart disease--of the joy that kills” (Chopin). The reader knows that she didn’t die of joy from seeing her husband, but ironically the loss of joy from her loss of newfound
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