Themes And Symbolism In The Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin

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Can love be so cruel that causes a lover to die? Depression is common among patients with heart attacks. In the short story, "The Story of an Hour," by Katie Chopin. As the author tells us about a sticky wife who dies after seeing her husband alive whom her mind was dead from a railroad accident. Once she heard about her husband 's death she imagines a whole life of freedom and a way out of a loveless marriage. Symbolism and imagery plays a huge role in this story because it used to describe the new life appearing before Louise Mallard 's eyes. First, Louise Mallard suffers a heart trouble. When Louise believes that her husband died, her heart trouble is representative of her mixed feeling about her marriage and the lack of freedom that causes her. The heart beats strongly and she embraces the idea of finally being free from her marriage. When Mr. Mallard died, Mrs. Mallard 's statement was "free! body and soul free!" and quiet whispers of "free, free, free" (533). This lets the readers know that she was not happy in her marriage with Mr. Mallard. She felt held back from her own independence as a woman and these statements symbolize her joy for freedom. She …show more content…

Mallard’s room symbolizes her new found freedom and all the opportunities that she did not have when her husband was alive. The open window is a visual image that the author uses to show the reader Mrs. Mallards freedom. Her own heart problems symbolizes her marriage status. During those time women were consider to only get married and then live their lives as wives. That’s why at the end when the doctor says that her death was due to "a joy that kills,” symbolizes that the lack of dominance that women had during these times. To the men, they believe that she got her heart attack because of her husband coming home unharmed, but in reality it was because of her loss of freedom and

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