Story of An hour

Story of an Hour 

“Story of An Hour” written by Kate Chopin is a powerful story about a woman

life in the mid 1800’s. one major theme in Kate Chopin’s story is freedom. In the

beginning of  “Story of an hour” the scene opens up and we are introduced to Mrs.

Mallard who has been told that her husband has dead in a horrible train wreck. Mrs.

Mallard reacts to this news like any other wife would. Yes, she is upset so she

excuses herself and rushes off to her bedroom to be away from everyone who has

come to see her. While in her room we as the reader see a completely different side

of Mrs. Mallard. She is some sense is happy: yes she is upset that her husband has

dead however she now has this new found freedom that she did not have before.

When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly

parted lips. She said it over and over under the breath “free, free, free“ the vacant

stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. They stayed

keen and bright. Her pulse beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed

very inch of her body. Here for the first time you see Mrs. Mallard really coming out

of her shell, once she is behind closed doors she can truly express what she is really

feeling. Mrs. Mallard still in some sense knows her place; she knows that she dared

not express these types of feeling in front of her family and friends. In some sense

she knows her place in society and even though her husband has dead she is still

supposed to keep that stature of a women in that time period. Mrs. Mallard is now

been reborn. She is now free, free from the shadow of her husband. Mrs. Mallard is

up in her room, he is standing in room, she is standing in front of her window and

everything around her is in full bloom, spring has arrived.

Winter has now died and spring has now been born. In some sense the same

applies for Mrs. Mallard the winter being her husband has now died and spring

being her new found freedom has been born. She could see in the open square her

house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious

breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The

notes of a distant song which someone was singing reached her faintly, and

countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves. Mrs. Mallard knows now that she

only has to live with herself. She does not have to make anyone happy but herself.

She does not have to answer to anyone but herself. She now is living her life the way

she wants she is not going to be chained to her husband. Mrs. Mallard finally

compasses herself and comes out of her bedroom to make an appearance

downstairs again. As she walks down the stairs Mrs. Mallard gets the surprise of her

life. Someone was opening the front door with a latchkey. It was Brantley Mallard

who entered, a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his gripsack and umbrella.

He had been far from the scene of the accident, and did not even know there had

Been one. He stood amazed at Josephine’s piercing cry; at Richards’ quick motion to

Screen him from the view of his wife.

In conclusion, the story of an hour, although Fictions, tells a lot about a

women’s life in the mid 1800’s. back then women had no Say in things and weren’t

even aloud to work. The men controlled all of the money So marrying was very

common for women divorce was not an option because with No money and no job

running away would be impossible. The story of an hour does A great job in showing

what a women’s life would have been like in the mid 1800’s And although fictions,

we can learn a lot from it.