Free Essay - Roller Coaster of Emotions in Kate Chopin's Story of an Hour

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A Roller Coaster of Emotions in A Story of An Hour

In the short story “A Story of An Hour” by Kate Chopin, the whole range

of emotions are felt by the main charter Louise Mallard. Upon learning of her

husband's death she is immediately overcome by sadness. However, once she is

alone she allows herself to experience her feelings of joy at the prospect of

being free from “repression." She is no more able to staff off the feeling that

was approaching her than trying to stop the waves from hitting the shore.

Basically stated we are powerless over our feelings.

First, one can state that no matter how hard we try we can not keep a

feeling from coming over us. Louises' feelings come from deep within her soul.

Physical exhaustion followed her first storm of grief. At first she did not

know what was coming to her. She could not even give it a name. When she

started to recognize it, she was trying to beat it back with sheer will power.

Only to find that will power is no match for the total encompassing of feelings.

Once she had abandoned herself the word “free” had escaped from her lips. She

did not deliberately want it but it had come anyway. Unmistakably, a joy over

took her. Not that she would not be sad again, but for now she was like a bird

let out of the cage.

Mrs. Mallard was a good example of Shakespeare's line “To Thine own self

be true." She did not allow guilt to rear it's ugly head but instead just felt

her feelings. She allowed no one to witness her self assertion. But, it was

the strongest impulse of her being.

As she was projecting spring and summer days to come, a feeling that her

life would be her own again gave her a contentment that she had not felt in a

long time. No one actually knew what Mrs. Mallard had experienced behind her

closed door. Although, the human heart was meant to deal with that much pain,

joy and disappointment in one day never mind one hour. To her sister

(Josephine) it would appear that she died of joy when she saw her spouse was not

dead. The truth was buried with Louise. Tragically, what seemed to be great

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