The Story of an Hour

A detailed Summary of The Story of an Hour


Kate Chopin's novel "The story of an hour" introduces us to a struggle-married woman heading for her newfound freedom. This short story describes the main character, Louise Mallard, as we see her "metamorphosis" throughout Chopin's work of fiction. "The story" refers to Mrs. Mallard life where she gains her liberty. This scene, where Mrs. Mallard will supposedly grieve for her husband, deliberately expose a lot on her character and her new discovery of living. "The story of an hour" will make us see some perspective on a married woman who opens up herself and show her true feelings deep down there, for what we called "inner-self".

We could see, while reading the text, that there are lots of unusual signs about Mrs. Mallard's personality. Strange behaviour where we could see there is something going on " She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralysed inability to accept its significance"(Chopin293). Her freedom is quickly vanished and her dreams shattered when her husband open the door. At the end, we know that she died in the sa


This story is liberating but tragic as well; Louise Mallard goes from an exciting life where new goals are in the way to a death where her dreams are totally crushed. The author tries to demonstrate society in 1800's where the traditional marriage is in the faith of everyone's relationships. This story brings new understandings to the anger that many feminists feel about the issue of male domination in a marriage relationship. And even though, Mrs. Mallard died, she represents the progress of women's independence.

me time as her free will " ...she had died of heart disease-of joy that kills"(295). Her absorbance of independence was much too great to bear the loss of it.

There is also a definite change on her character going on when she enters her room "Into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul" (293). The fact that the writer mentions the exhaustion of Mrs. Mallard, after she knew the news of her husband's death, makes us see that she is not reacting like what other women will react to their husband's death, "grief". H

Some common words found in the essay are:
Louise Mallard, Kate Chopin's, husband's death, , 19th century, louise mallard, kate chopin's,

Approximate Word count = 747
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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