Critical Analysis of Mrs. Mallard's Emotions in The Story of an Hour

In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” allows one to explore many ironic instances throughout the story, the main one in which a woman unpredictably feels free after her husband’s assumed death. Chopin uses Mrs. Mallard’s bizarre story to illustrate the struggles of reaching personal freedom and trying to be true to yourself to reach self-assertion while being a part of something else, like a marriage. In “The Story of an Hour” the main character, Mrs. Mallard, celebrates the death of her husband, yet Chopin uses several ironic situations and certain symbols to criticize the behavior of Mrs. Mallard during the time of her “loving” husband’s assumed death.

Written in 1894, “The Story of an Hour” is a story of a woman who, through the erroneously reported death of her husband, experienced true freedom. Both tragic and ironic, the story deals with the boundaries imposed on women by society in the nineteenth century. The author Kate Chopin, like the character in her story, had first-hand experience with the male-dominated society of that time and had experienced the death of her husband at a young age (Internet). The similarity between Kate Chopin and her heroine can only leave us to wonder how much of this story is fiction and how much is personal experience.

The open window from which Louise gazes is symbolic for her freedom and the good fortune that she is now presented with. Her attention to the blue sky, fluffy clouds, tree tops and the delicious breath of rain denote her newly found inner well-being. The writer's use of language is well-chosen as it explicitly portrays Mrs. Mallard's true feelings. By capturing all the senses, the imagery created represents Louise's new life and establishes her as a round character. The open window provides a clear and bright view into the distance of Louise’s own bright future, which was obstructed by the demands of her husband.

Mallard drastically changes from a timid wife to a strong and independent woman, and for this, she is full of joy. Through the open window, Mrs. Mallard is enjoying an elixir of life (477). She fancies living the days ahead so much that she wants it to be longer, although it was just yesterday that she afraid it would be too long (477). Mrs. Mallard is over-whelmed with joy thinking about the new life, the life in which she has the control over her own doings, the life in which she is free to follow her will. She is confident that her life is going to be better this way.

Mallard is up in her room because she merely wants time for herself. Everybody thinks that Mrs. Mallard is in sorrow but she is taking new things coming to her. She is standing in front of her window and everything around her is in full bloom, spring has arrived. Mrs. Mallard is now being reborn. She is now free, free from the shadow of her husband. Winter has now died and spring has now been born. In some sense the same applies for Mrs. Mallard the winter being her husband has now died and spring being her new found freedom has been born.

These clouds can be seen as a symbol of Mrs. Mallard’s thoughts and as they come to unravel and clear it is most likely that if Mrs. Mallard was to look out the window she would see a clear blue

I think Mrs. Mallard had always wanted a life of her own. It was like a secret she kept to herself. However, she couldn’t have that life to herself with her husband around. A section of the story describes the scene and events that take place when Mrs. Mallard is in her room alone. She sobs occasionally and allows the grief to pass as she embraces the new beginning of her life. I believe her husband loved her but I think that her husband’s death opened a door to a new life for her that she had hoped for. She sees a view from the window that maybe symbolizes what she wanted in this new life of hers. The following passage describes it:

In the passage, "The Story of an Hour", by Kate Chopin, Mrs. Mallard expresses many different emotions; she experiences a sense of mourning, and then a realization of freedom and independence. Ironically, Mrs. Mallard experiences the sense of freedom only to find her husband is not truly dead, but Mrs. Mallard herself. Even after the news of her husband's death, she only mourns for a split second, but she shows more excitement. Mrs. Mallard expresses feelings irregular to a woman who has lost her husband which shows a lot about her feelings towards marriage.

Kate Chopin set the primary precedent of a desired woman representative promoting equal rights. Chopin’s feminist ideology shaped the basis of ¨The Story of an Hour.¨ She encountered hatred and rejection from the patriarchal society since her writings portrayed women as ¨passionate and emancipated¨ (Hicks). Unlike Louise Mallard, Chopin knew the implications of the institution of marriage; however, it did not stop her from pursuing a union with Oscar Chopin. Throughout her lifetime, she had been exposed to the essence of equality of both sexes. Fatherless at the age of four, Chopin was ¨strongly influenced by her mother and her maternal grandmother.

The heart trouble symbol represents physical malady of unhappiness with the lack of freedom she has or have had with her life. This is the first thing we learn about Mrs. Mallard and we also learn that extra care is needed in order to reveal the truth to her. A person with such disease would not properly deal with the news. This tells us that Mrs. Mallard has a deep inner-life that is not connected to the outside world overall. The open window symbol represents the happiness and the new opportunities that are ahead of Mrs. Mallard. She looks at the bright sky to think about the freedom and hope that she has been longing for. She feels as if the open window is providing her with life itself. The open window brings in hope and outside of her room is alive and vibrant like her mind

Mallard’s looks as youthful, with a hint of repression and strength, and the way in which Mrs. Mallard looks out the window as, “not [being] a glance of reflection, but rather [indicating] a suspension of intelligent thought” (1). As such, Mrs. Mallard’s perspective on her husband’s death begins to shift to relief, but she bears guilt from these relieved feelings and attempts to put them to rest (2). Ultimately, Mrs. Mallard decides to accept these feelings. While she knows that she will be sad again at the funeral, Mrs. Mallard cannot help but feel free from the repression of her husband: “She [will] live for herself”

Throughout the story Chopin either describes Mrs. Mallard’s drab reality first and then the desired possibilities she now possesses as a widow or the new life followed by what would be left behind. With the quick contrast of how Mrs. Mallard’s life will progress as a widow and the author’s description of the character’s feelings, it is clear being a widow is not long, if ever, viewed negatively by Mrs. Mallard.

"The story of an Hour" is a bright amazing piece by Kate Chopin, which realistically represents feelings and thoughts of women of that times. Mrs. Mallard is a main character, who received a news about her husband tragic death. She has a heart issue, which concerns and stresses her family about her reaction. "It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences;" (1) It is obvious, that Josephine is so emotional and nervous, so confused, that cannot find proper words.

When Mrs. Mallard escapes to the tranquility of her room to be alone with her emotions, her eyes catch the view outside her

This is where the story takes a positive turn and where Mrs. Mallard begins to recognize her freedom for the first time. The open window is symbolically Mrs. Mallard’s connection to the world and fresh start at life. Sometimes we open windows to let new fresh air in and let the old air out. She was getting rid of her old life and was finally accepting and loving her freedom and the new opportunities to come after the death of Mr. Mallard.