the story of an hour and the irony of death

A detailed Summary of the story of an hour and the irony of death

Across the short time period of just an hour, a young unhappily married woman's life is drastically changed when she hears news of her husband's unfortunate death. The unhappy life she once led as a wife was quickly altered when hearing the joyous news of her becoming a widow. Just minutes there after she ironically falls to her own death when the small happiness she sought was disposed when she found out that she was not the fortunate widow she had so desired to become. In "A Story of an Hour" Kate Chopin tells this story of Mrs. Mallard reflecting upon her husband's unexpected death in which she unfolds the ironic meaning behind Mrs. Louise Mallard's reaction throughout the story.

Initially, Mrs. Mallard is denoted as a young woman who suffers from an unusual heart condition. Chopin begins this "conventional love story" by introducing her afflicted heart only to end this story ironically with Mrs. Mallard falling to her death due to her troubled heart. Although her heart is afflicted with this illness, Chopin may also be denoting the fact that Louise Mallard also suffered from a broken, troubled marriage which caused her heart to be "ill".

After Chopin introduces Mrs. Mallard's heart trouble, Bentley Mallard's friend, R

Chopin then speaks of "something" coming towards her as she sits in her room pondering upon her loss. This "something" is denoted as external but I feel it is a fight within her. The "internal" feeling that she only wishes to fight back could possibly be the happiness she feels for losing her lover. At this point, Mrs. Mallard feels guilty for the amount of overwhelming joy that has overcome her due to this horrifying, for most people, loss of a loved one. Chopin continues to express Mrs. Mallard's feelings of guilt only to eventually give into the happiness that temps her: "She was striving to beat it back with her will." Finally, she allows this "thing" to possess her. Her happiness and joy overtakes her and she begins to ponder upon the new satisfying life that awaits her. Once she allows herself to realize that she is happy without him, she finds herself screaming: "free, free, free" implying that she is free from her unsatisfying married life and can now seek out her independence that she has longed. Chopin expresses her joy: "Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Spring days and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own." Conclusively, she does not dismiss all negative effects of her husband's death but ironically she absolutely loves the opportunity of being a widow.

Conc

Some common words found in the essay are:
Bentley Mallard's, Louise Mallard, , Conclusively Chopin, Initially Mallard, Kate Chopin, Louise Mallard's, conventional love story, lover mallard, husband's death, outside window, love story, louise mallard, free free, spring life, death due, free unsatisfying, own death,

Approximate Word count = 900
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English