Commentary on The Story of an Hour Essay

The Story of an Hour

Kate Chopins Story of an hour, is an ironic story about Mrs. Mallard, an older woman who has a heart condition and the death of her husband. The story begins when her sister Josephine and her husbands friend Richards try to gently give her the news that her husband was killed on the railroad where he worked. Instead of being devastated, Mrs. Mallard is relived that Mr. Mallard has passed and has overwhelming feelings of freedom. Mrs. Mallard loved her Husband; however, often she did not. As Mrs. Mallard is appreciating of her freedom, Mr. Mallard walks in the door unaware that there had even been an accident. When Mrs. Mallard sees her husband she lets out a cry and falls to the floor. When the doctors arrived and heard what had happened, they say she had died of heart disease from being overjoyed.

I like this story a little better than Ripe Figs. I think Mrs. Mallard may have been a little ungrateful since there was no evidence showing that she was the one working and supporting her husband. However, I felt a sense on envy when she felt body and soul free. How often does someone feel that much of a relief and freedom in a lifetime? This makes you stop and look at the realization of the things in life we take for granite and dont normally look at. When Mrs. Mallard sees her husband walk through the door, her feeling of being trapped again is so intense that she cannot physically take it. This really shows how powerful emotions are and really can be; especially at an old age.

The end of the story makes you wonder how many possibilities there could have been if it ended differently. When Richards was trying to block the view of Mrs. Mallard from her husband, I wonder if Richards was protecting Mrs. Mallard or Mr. Mallard. Maybe he didnt want Mr. Mallard to see that his wife was overjoyed of the thought of him dying and have him be hurt by her reaction. Maybe he was protecting Mrs. Mallard from her husband. Is it possible that Richards was trying to block the view of Mr. Mallards wife, knowing that if he saw her in her state that he would have killed her?