Mrs. Mallard: Experiencing The Death Of Her Husband

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Mrs. Mallard is directly experiencing the grief of losing her husband. Her actions and mannerisms are all telltale signs of many stages of grievance. Ultimately this grief overcomes her, and she is so enveloped in a joy of denial, when her husband walks through the door, she passes from a heart attack. Mrs. Mallard shows heavy signs and effects commonly experienced by those previously traumatised or currently experiencing the grief that follows after experiencing a death within their lifetime. Some of these effects can pile atop one another, or separate to create a wide emotional range following an experience that would cause grievance. These grievances are caused by a number of factors, in Mrs. Mallard's case it is her relationship with her husband. Experiencing the death of another can be drastically affected by what form of relationship they have with them. If the deceased was a close family member or friend, this can be extremely painful. Similarly, a caregiver passing away can traumatise a child or teen who sees them as an attachment …show more content…

Mallard shows a major sign of grief just before leaving her room, that of denial and a confused melancholic joy. This is observed in a number of cases involving grieving people, it is a trance of false joy fueled by denial of their loved one's passing. It is a confusion of brain signals that are induced by extreme stress and anxiety which is directly tied to the sudden death of a person close to them, and can also lead to other side effects. Effects can include a risk of heart attack in Mrs. Mallard s case, cardiovascular instability, extreme depression, extreme anxiety, and often suicidal thoughts. The thought of proceeding on with their life without someone so important is seemingly a fruitless effort. “It’s a shock to our systems physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This can cause anyone to develop a crisis in any one of those areas.” - How to process an unexpected death, page one, Syracuse

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