Freedom in Grief: A Study of 'The Story of an Hour'

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"The Story of an Hour," a short story written by Kate Chopin explores the experiences of a woman 's reaction to the death of her husband. This narrative brings upon Louise Mallard a woman residing in 1894, who is thought to briefly believe she has lost her husband to a train accident. A close friend of the family’s brings the news of the death to her. Distraught and overwhelmed by a wave of grief, Mrs. Mallard poured from her eyes. A gloomy darkness swept her away from sanity for a few moments. When her tears settled and she fled to the solitude of her room; strange and inexplicable feelings begin to creep upon her, "she was striving to beat it back with her will [.]" Excitement arouses her mind with an almost crazed sensation of freedom. Mrs. Mallard is now free, free of all …show more content…

Nearing the end of the story, Mrs. Mallard has fully embraced her future with, "prayer[s] that life might be long." She wants to live a full life now, she is happy. When all seems well on its way her sister franticly begins knocking on her door to get her to open up because she is worried that Louise is making herself ill with despair. Far from the truth, after leaving the room the two make their way down the stairs and the front door opens with the husband walking in, Brently Mallard. This moment Mrs. Mallard 's heart stops and she falls dead. Though her heart was weak, if she was in true love and happiness with her husband she would have fell at the beginning of the story, but she does not. Chopin wishes for her to descend after she has been given the world and promises of freedom to be all she could be. Mrs. Mallard dies because of shock that her husband is still alive, she in that brief second, loses everything. Reality comes crashing upon her, life would not be free and would remain in servitude to a man she is not in love

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