Character Analysis of Mrs. Mallard in The Story of an...

In the short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† author Kate Chopin presents the character of Mrs. Louis Mallard. She is an unhappy woman trapped in her discontented marriage. Unable to assert herself or extricate herself from the relationship, she endures it. The news of the presumed death of her husband comes as a great relief to her, and for a brief moment she experiences the joys of a liberated life from the repressed relationship with her husband. The relief, however, is short lived. The shock of seeing him alive is too much for her bear and she dies. The meaning of life and death take on opposite meaning for Mrs. Mallard in her marriage because she lacked the courage to stand up for herself. Mrs. Mallard’s repressed married life is a†¦show more content†¦Her experiences took the form of words: â€Å"free, free, free!† (Chopin 262). This clearly shows that she was experiencing life after she heard the news of her husband’s death. Her love for life and the desire to live long, take an ironic twist when she sees that her husband is actually alive. Watching the husband alive in front of her is indeed the real shock of her life. It strikes with such a force that it takes her life. It is very likely that her weak heart simply could not bear, what indeed was for her, the most tragic news. Her husband’s death meant life to her which she hoped would be long enough. â€Å"She says a prayer that her life might be long to enjoy all the seasons in her life†. (Chopin 262). While even the doctor proclaims that she died because she was overjoyed to see him alive, it was the opposite that happened. After having experienced a brief moment of what it was like to be free from an oppressed life she just could not bring herself to the thought of living another moment of that repressed life. Although there is an element of tragedy to her death, we could also interpret her death—as an end to her repressed life. What she failed to achieve in her life, she did so in her death. She is now free and no longer subject to the repressive will of her husband. But could this be interpreted as some act of courage on her part? To the contrary, she chose a way out thatShow MoreRelatedMrs Mallard from Story of an Hour and the Wife from Cat in the Rain: A Comparative Character Analysis807 Words   |  3 PagesCompare, contrast and analyze: Mrs. Mallard (Story of an Hour) and the wife (Cat in the Rain) The heroine of Kate Chopins Story of an Hour and unnamed wife of Ernest Hemingways Cat in the Rain seem to be motivated by completely different forces. Mrs. Mallard desires a wider and more expansive life than the one she currently possesses. She is frustrated by the limits of her domesticity. She feels a sense of freedom and relief at the prospect of her husbands death rather than sorrow. TheRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin Literary Analysis1432 Words   |  6 PagesMaking a literary analysis involves writing an argumentative analysis about a particular literature. The analyst is supposed to carefully read the literature and better understand the contents so as to come up with legal analysis. It requires some summary, but it is not a report about the book or the story. It is important in making the reader to understand the message in the book as well as the improvements necessary the literature. It is also important in understanding how a particular author articulatesR ead MoreThe Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin Essay1528 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin is very intriguing, not only because of the emotional change Louise Mallard goes through the hour after her husband’s tragic death but also the way Chopin uses irony in the story. During this analysis of â€Å"The Story of an Hour† we will discuss the summary, plot, setting, tone, theme, point of view, emotions of Louise Mallard and other characters involved in the story. Chopin’s story uses the feelings of a married womanRead MoreThe Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin632 Words   |  3 PagesIndeed, Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and Edward Arlington Robinson’s â€Å"Miniver Cheevy† seem to provide excellent insight as to what â€Å"irony† truly means. In addition to these, scrutiny of Lawrence Berkove’s analysis of Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, provides deeper enlightenment. After reading these literary pieces, it becomes evident that irony refers to the contrast between people’s perceptions of truth and reality, as in Miniver Cheevy â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and Berkove’s â€Å"Fatal Self-AssertionRead MoreAnalysis Of The Short Story Of An Hour1033 Words   |  5 Pagesof The Story of an Hour summarizes the main elements of the short story. We can begin to see the story take shape as the author gets straight to the point by stating Mrs. Mallard’s health ailment and the possible danger of unexpected news is highlighted with the words, â€Å"†¦great care must be taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death† (Mays 278). We can start to see the direction that Chopin is headed by this first paragraph and the title of the short story is a nodRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin1159 Words   |  5 PagesThe short story â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† by Kate Chopin is about a woman who dies after finding out that her husband, bel ieved to be deceased, is actually alive. The short story â€Å"The Fathers Confession,† by Guy de Maupassant is about a man who confesses to a crime he committed to his children in a letter after he passes away. A close reading of these stories reveals themes of repressive relationships and freedom. 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Although Mrs. Mallard is initially distraught by the news, she sitsRead MoreEssay on Structural Technique in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin861 Words   |  4 Pagesshort story. Kate Chopin uses structural techniques to enhance â€Å"The Story of an Hour† from beginning to end. She follows formal structure to a certain degree, but occasionally strays to actual structure. Upon analysis of the organization of Chopin’s story, the reader understands the powerful meaning that is expressed in such a short piece. Initially, a short story begins with an exposition. This is the laying out of important background information, characters, and setting. Chopin’s story is only