Story of an Hour

From the first few sentences, I immediately assumed that “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin would be a typical story about a woman’s journey of grief and loss. Yet slowly as the story progressed, it was revealed that this is a very different story than I expected. 

Mrs. Mallard’s husband has allegedly been killed by a railroad accident, and her sister is cautious to break this information to her because of Mallard’s heart condition. From her first reaction upon hearing the news of the loss, Mallard seems to be acting in a peculiar way for a woman whose husband has passed away, but not in a noticeable way yet. It isn’t until she is alone in her thoughts, looking out the window and relishing the little things in life—patches of blue sky in the clouds, the trees and birds outside—that she is overcome with a sudden burst of emotion. This emotion at first appears to be extreme anxiety which overtakes her, and perhaps it starts out this way, but eventually she is overcome with a wash of relief. 


Mrs Mallard has realized that she is no longer under the constant control of her husband. She is free to live her own life as she pleases without answering to anyone, and perhaps she couldn’t have come to this realization until she isolated herself from friends and family. Perhaps she is surprised at herself for feeling this way so suddenly, which may be why her symptoms resemble anxiety at first, but she soon begins to accept and own these feelings as her own. 


Since women had hardly any rights on their own apart from men in the 1800s, we can see why the idea being single and having freedom may have had such an impact on Mrs Mallard’s emotions. No, I don’t believe Mrs Mallard hated her husband and was happy he was killed, as the text even states that she would mourn him at his funeral. Instead, I believe Mrs Mallard simply realized that her husband’s death also provided a positive outcome—her own life to live. 

Comments

  1. Tom LavazziJanuary 5, 2023 at 9:21 AM

    Yes, on the right track. In your essay explore how details reveal Mrs. Mallard's conflict and struggle reaching this realization

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  2. Amanda JJanuary 5, 2023 at 2:41 PM

    I like how you commented on the time she was living in and how it could have been reflective of her reaction.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 9, 2023 at 8:43 PM

    I enjoyed how you followed Mrs. Mallards realizations throughout the story! On first read, it does appear that she's anxious or overcome with grief. Chopin effectively breadcrumbs Mrs. Mallards self-actualization. it's almost as if we are going through it with her. I enjoyed Chopin's use of narrative devices to express the conflict and struggle Mrs. Mallard was going through. I agree with you that Mrs. Mallard didn't hate her husband; I think she was oppressed by him. In the 1800s she wouldn't have really had much choice but to stay in an unfulfilling marriage and the idea of his death brought her euphoria realizing the life she would have ahead of her. Great Blog! Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Maryam CheemaJanuary 10, 2023 at 2:53 PM

    Hey Elizabeth! I find your outlook very interesting and made me develop a better understanding of the scenario from a different perspective. The story's details suggest that there was first grief, which was sudden, unadulterated, and intense. After that, the impending joy began to be sensed unconsciously, but Mrs. Mallard's observations revealed it, and this is when we saw the struggle and conflict develop, finally bursting into conscious, all-encompassing acceptance of the new, revealed possibilities. It's crucial to emphasize how the details of the story allow us to track the protagonist's development.

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