An Hour Gender Roles

“The Story of an Hour” is the story revolving around a young woman, Louise Mallard, who has a heart problem, and she receives news of her husband’s death by the train accident. Her sister, Josephine, told her about the news. At first, she is upset, her body cold, and her mind and heart were empty. But as she grieves, she realizes she is free to live a life that she dreams of living instead of that which her husband would have had her live. Unfortunately, at the end, she discovers that her husband is not dead, and dies of a possible heart attack. “The Story of an Hour” reinforces gender roles in that Mrs. Mallard was expected to follow her husband’s lifestyle choices, only breaking free when he was dead and gone. In the beginning of the story,

Mallard, and other men, are presented as strong, decision-making characters who are in charge. In the story, Mr. Mallard doesn’t appear a lot until the end. Brently Mallard is the breadwinner of the family, making the money--and, therefore--the decisions in the household. It states that his “powerful will [was] bending hers in...blind persistence” (Chopin 146). This shows that Mr. Mallard made decisions for his wife, even if she did not agree with them. This can also be seen when Mrs. Mallard whispers, “Free! Body and soul free,” showing that Mrs Mallard was finally free from her husband’s will after his death (Chopin 147). His death gives her a chance break away from the norm, to do what she likes and make her own decisions apart from a man’s will. The men also take care of the women, such as Richards, who “hastened to forestall any less careful, less tender friend in bearing the sad news” to Mrs. Mallard of her husband’s death (Chopin 145). This role of the man was in order to protect women from news or situations that might harm them. Mr Mallard and the other men are the ones make all of the big decisions in life for the women, typical of their role as the leader in a patriarchal society. Richards is a friend of Mr Mallard, “Her husband’s friend Richards was there, too, near her” (Springboard 145). He being there to support Mrs. Mallard after learning the news paints her as needing to be taken care of by more than her sister and she needs a man