The Story of an Hour

Habibat Oguntade
AP English
9/29/09
The Story of An hour
In this story, Kate Chopin construes how desires can change the life of an individual completely. Chopin constructs the story in such a way that readers will be able to develop a sympathetic mood towards the main character, who is Mrs. Mallard. Mrs. Mallard is a married woman, who has been deprived of her freedom. She seems to find herself in a problematic matrimonial home Mrs. Mallard lacked the happiness of freedom, but this might not be understood till the very end of the story.
In the beginning Mrs. Mallard is said to be suffering from heart disease, therefore , the news about her husband’s death had to be broken down gently to her sister Josephine and her husband's friend Richards, who bring this news to her, honestly believe that Mrs. Mallard would be very upset to hear it, and that it could make her even more ill. Here readers expect her to be upset and worried about her husband’s death , since she has heart trouble, and it's very possible that sad news can make her feel worse than usual. Yes, "she wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment" but it's just a first emotional reaction to the news, without deep comprehension of what had happened and how it would change her life.
She comprehends the sad news later on, Chopin shows us little by little how she comes to realize it and what helps her to understand it. She goes to her room, and "there stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair. Into this she sank". Reading these words, the readers suddenly realize that something turns the story to a more positive, reassuring way. What makes us, readers, to think so? Here we see two things, which make us to feel that way "a comfortable, roomy armchair" as a symbol of security and comfort in spite of her husband's death, and "the open window", which here symbolizes connection to the world, and her interpersonal life.
Another paragraph in the story , emphasizes these ideas even more and carries more details and fresh elements of the new, positive turn of the story. Through the open window she can see "the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life." "The delicious breath of rain was in the air." "countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves" . All these parts of this paragraph show us that Mrs. Mallard gets in touch with life, starts to hear sounds and to smell scents which she didn't feel before. Why? What happened? Does she really start to notice it all only after her husband's death? Yes, and the author gives us even more details, emphasizing it, not yet giving the answer why she starts to feel this way. However, a careful reader understands the deep sense of the words about "patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds..." These words didn't appear in the story with no reason. All these details make us to feel the growth of Mrs. Mallard's excitement and make us to understand the sign of the meaning of the blue sky a symbol of freedom and future life.
Mrs. Mallard, "young, with a fair, calm face", is sitting in the armchair with a "dull stare in her eyes", which "indicated a suspension of intelligent thought” . Reading these lines, the readers understand that something is going on in Mrs. Mallard's head; something is changing everything in her mind. What is it? Mrs. Mallard still doesn't realize it, "but she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air" . We understand, that her soul starts to fill with happiness of freedom; freedom, which is in everything in sounds and beautiful trees around, in blue sky and in songs of the birds.
However, for one moment she gets afraid to allow herself to be happy about her freedom "she was striving to beat it back with her will". This shows us that Mrs. Mallard is a "product" of her time and has to be dependent on society rules. She realizes that society would determine her thoughts of freedom inappropriate, but she can't stop herself to feel that way. A calm soul is necessary for a human being and is more important than society standards. Feeling happy she just proves this thought. However, "she knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death" but it's just a reaction, which society expects her to have. What can compare to "a long procession of years that would belong to her absolutely"! Here the author finally opens a reason why Mrs. Mallard feels this way about her husband's death. "There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature" . These words show the picture of Mrs. Mallard's family life. She was unhappy with her husband; she couldn't have her own opinion and couldn't show her own will, that's why she is happy to be free!
In conclusion, Mrs. Mallard dies "of joy that kills" . These words carry the absolutely opposite meaning, than they read. We understand, that the doctors are wrong, thinking that she dies from happiness of seeing her husband again. She chooses rather to die than to live again under her husband's will, especially after experiencing freedom, even just for one hour. This hour in a comfortable armchair in front of the open window made her feel happy and free, made her to understand the sense of her being, and it was the only real hour of her life.