Freedom in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

A detailed Summary of Freedom in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

Mrs. Mallard's overwhelming response of "free, free, free!" upon hearing of her husband's death reflects the attitude of many nineteenth century women. During this time, highly restrictive gender roles forbade women to live as they saw fit. In "The Story of an Hour" Kate Chopin allows her audience to envision the moment that Mrs. Mallard is able to shed the bondage of marriage that was forced upon her. This was Mrs. Mallard's chance to actually live life on her own terms. Not on the terms prescribed to her by her husband. After this revelation on her behalf, the outcome of the story is both ironic and tragic.

Upon hearing the news of Brently's death Mrs. Mallard, who is afflicted with a heart condition, reacts with sadness at first, grieving with "wild abandonment" but shortly afterward seeks solitude to assess what has happened. The location where she seeks isolation is important. She retreats to her bedroom in a comfortable armchair, indicating that this is a place where she feels safe. It is here that Mrs. Mallard seems to have found a way to rectify what she thought wrong in her life. Mrs. Mallard then realizes in a rush of emotion and relief that she is "Free! Body and soul fr

Mrs. Mallard's happiness was in fact, the cause of her death. This death, arrived out of shock that her weak heart could not handle. The arrival of her husband who was the cause of her new-found freedom caused her death. Mrs. Mallard's death could be seen as the ultimate freedom from her unhappy marriage. Though her life ends in an extremely ironic manner, Mrs. Mallard does in fact finally escape the restrictions of her old life, not merely upon the hour before Brently Mallard's arrival but in the end for eternity.

While this realization is occurring, a somewhat strange thing is happening outside. Usually when a character dies, the weather becomes dark, gloomy and foreboding. In this particular story this is not the case. The natural world actually mirrors Mrs. Mallard's feelings. The "trees were all a quiver with the new spring life" and "there were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds." This shows how she is seeing her life as having a refreshed new appearance. Yes, Mrs. Mallard remembers her husband with kind memories but it was invigorating to see her true feelings, not because she was abused or mistreated but because she merely wanted to spend time with herself.

After relishing her newfound freedom, Mrs. Mallard opens the door to her sister, Josephine with a sparkle in her eyes and she "carried herself like a goddess of Victory." She had triumphed over her husband, and was now ready to begin living. With this new freedom, Mrs Mallard and her sister descend the stairs

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1027
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels