Emotions in Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour Essay Sample

For most, death brings a sense of loss, but not Mrs. Mallard. She was overcome by a sense of freedom and relief when she attained the news that her husband was dead. In this short piece of literature, “Story of an Hour” by Kate chopin will look at the mass amounts of emotions that go through humans when learning that a loved one has passed away. Mrs. Mallard for the most part is our guinea pig, us the readers examine every thought and emotion that goes through her. We will see that the common theme in the story is freedom, which may seem weird to most readers due to the fact that her husband passed. 

Mrs. Mallard is a normal woman, living a normal life, nothing about her is extraordinary. To most she is living the good life, married to Mr. Mallard, and settling down. She did not notice the flaws in her life. She did not notice how oppressing it was to her, and when she heard the news of her husband's death it was the feeling of freedom something she hasn't felt in so long. For example, in the Story of an Hour it is said “But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome” (cite). This quote is a prime example of the emotions that went through Mrs. Mallard. She is sad but yet happy, and can't wait for the next part of her life, almost like she has been reborn. It is the pure sense of freedom, and that new beginning that we all strive for, but that moment was too much to grasp for Mrs. Mallard as she passed not long after, from heart complications. After reading this you can't help to think how many people are being held down and don't even know it? 

Throughout time women have been told what they can do & what they cannot do, sadly the majority of people have become accustomed to it. Reading this short story can be a rude awakening for society, and start the process of learning and understanding what women go through. Mrs. Mallard as we read from the story had a mixed amount of emotions and that is a clear example of how she has a feeling of freedom. That feeling when you realize you can go out and enjoy life doing what you've always wanted to do. But that idea for women still today is a mixed result if we asked the general public. 

In school you are told you can be whatever you want, women staying home and supporting their family dumping their dreams and hobbies to take care of the children or their husband. For example in the story, Mrs. Mallard talks with her sister about it, and “...it was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing’’ (author’s last name). This shows the concern that Mrs. Mallard's sister is when she is telling her the news of her husband's death. Mrs. Mallard's sister was acting that her sister's life is over now that she does not have a man. Which is not right at all for the most part her life is just starting wich again Mrs. Mallard felt sad for her dead husband but more so felt freedom and that's what matters in this story. 

Mrs. Mallard as we already know died shortly after being told her husband has passed but she did not die from the shock of his death she passed from the excitement of her freedom. Everything she can now try and accomplish what she wanted to do all along. What happened to Mrs. Mallard was irony, she can now finally be free but she dies this gave me a sense of pity for Mrs. Mallard, for example. “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease--of the joy that kills.” 

This quote from the text can shine light on a new opinion, to me it's saying she is free now and that the little time she had she experienced the join that was needed. To be free and be happy to me are the same thing even if it is just for a small time, I personally think it was the thought alone that made Mrs. Mallard felt free and that's all she wanted. 

This story touches base on a lot of different aspects of life and what a lot of people go through. I think the most important part of this story is the urgency of freedom that a lot of readers have for her. We all sense something is wrong and that she is relieved but when she does she passes away, we don't get that feeling of achievement. Which doesn't sit well with most people. I think in life we are always looking for one hundred percent fulfillment but as we get older we learn we will never get everything we want. 

This story is teaching us how to be happy with what we have and see the best out of the situation. Yes we know life is not fair and gender roles are deep but what are you going to make out of it? Complaining is not going to help, but how do you build up confidence when everyone around you is saying you will never make it on your own? This is what life was like for most women back then, and for the most part right now. But the main point of this story is the freedom Mrs. Mallard got to experience for just a short moment but it was enough to fill her with happiness and hope. Only if we could take the excitement that she experienced and install it into our daily lives and maybe we will start to experience self happiness and freedom from within.