Book1

Ken Tuzzi English Mrs. Grabbish “The Story of an Hour” In short story, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, the author addresses the mistreatment of women in society and the joy of being free from a less than loving marriage. The main character (Mrs. Mallard) displays grief and cries when she is told of her husband’s sudden death in a train accident. A few minutes later Mrs. Mallard wants to go to her room alone. In her room she starts noticing, “the trees aquiver with a new life, the delicious breath of rain was in the air”, all signs that she is realizing how her marriage had stiffelled the joy of life she had at one time, but she had lost it during her marriage. She now has hope that life will be hers to live. She will not have to “bend her will” ever again. Proving that in her case freedom is more important than love. After learning of her husband’s death Mrs. Mallard, “wept with wild abandonment in her sisters’ arms”, at this point she may be grieving her husband’s death, or is she just weeping at the shock of his sudden demise' When she goes to her room alone it starts to become clear that she is taken back by her husband’s death but her thoughts are more on her future. She states “free, free, free”; she is free at last. At first it is a “subtle and elusive feeling” that she felt. Gradually the felling crept from the sky reaching toward her through the scents, the colors, the sounds that filled the air, she is realizing that her husband’s death is the beginning of her life. A life free from “bending her will” to suit his, free from being treated as less of a person. She was no longer Mrs. Mallard; she was Louise again!! Her identity was no longer linked to who her husband was. She was an individual again. Her husband’s death is the beginning of her life. An unexpected chance to live the way she wanted. Now she knows why she suddenly noticed “the trees aquiver with a new spring life” and the smells of spring, and all the simple pleasures of life that have been repressed for so long. While she was so busy being Mrs. Mallard, she had lost her true identity. Her life with Mr. Mallard was one of constantly giving up her ideas and feelings to make him happy. Now that he was gone Louise could finally be herself again. The excitement of this had to be overwhelming for her but it was a new life of freedom. Through the story there are underlying hints of women being treated as second class citizens, which is probably true for the time period when this was written. The real theme of this story is freedom. Mrs. Mallard states it very clearly when she states “free,free,free”. Freedom and a new beginning are also referred to through the story. From the changing of the seasons, (a new beginning) to the calm that comes over her when she realizes she does not have to “bend her will” and live for someone else, from now on she will live for herself. Simply stated Mrs. Mallard’s love for her husband made her feel like a victim. She lost herself psychologically and emotionally following her husband’s will. Her senses were dulled in this marriage. Now it was her chance to enjoy life; she could finally live again. She looked forward to enjoying the simple pleasures of life, like noticing the seasons change and the smell of a recent rain, now that she was free. Freedom trumps love in the story of Louise.