Gabriela M. Santiago
Michael Vaughan
English 1020
30 October 2016 The Story of an Hour When reading about “The Story of an Hour” we can agree that there are multiple positions regarding Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to her husband’s death. Mrs. Mallard, a woman suffering from a heart condition is notified about her husband’s death in a car accident. Positions, such as a woman being repressed, or being in a male-dominant society, could be possible positions for the expectations during that century. By Mrs. Mallard reactions when she heard the news, it is difficult to understand what she was feeling. Mrs. Mallard’s heart condition caused a shocking reaction regarding her husband’s death; but then she gains a feeling of independence, and individuality within that hour, although she is finally disadvantaged of this freedom, with the return of her husband. Mrs. Mallard’s heart condition caused a shocking reaction regarding her husband’s death; when she received the news from her sister, and not giving a reaction back. She had a blank stare with no sort of emotion. She then wanted to be alone in her room, causing preoccupation for her sister and Richard a close friend. She then stood in front of an open window, releasing a form of relieving from her body and mind. “Into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul (Chopin, 4).” It seems as if she was never able to be herself, that having her husband next to her made her exhausted, and unhappy. Mrs. Mallard gains the feeling of independence, and individuality within that hour of hearing the news of her husband. After Mrs. Mallard had passed the in-shocked stage, she went into a feeling of freedom. “She said it over and over under her breath: …show more content…
Even though all the expressions she made of freedom, the readers can still sense that in a way she did have a love for her husband. No matter how miserable, or difficult a marriage can be; spending a lot of time with someone will make you care for them. “And yet she had loved him—sometimes. Often she had not. (Chopin, 13).” She not only expresses the love she might of have for her husband, but she also mentions how “She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death (Chopin, 11).” This just demonstrates that she did care about him, maybe he was kind and lovable to her. There can be multiple reasons for the way Mrs. Mallard was feeling, maybe this marriage was a set-up, maybe she got married young, and did not have a chance to explore the world. At the end of the story, with the reappearance of her husband, Mrs. Mallard suffered a heart attack. “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease—of the joy that kills. (Chopin, 20).” Maybe she was not happy after all, maybe she was confused with emotions she had felt in the past, and with the possibility of exploring things on her own. She was not a selfish person; she was a miserable person, trying to find her way in life. She did love her husband, and when seeing him, right before his death, she died happy, because she got to be free for that entire
Michael Vaughan
English 1020
30 October 2016 The Story of an Hour When reading about “The Story of an Hour” we can agree that there are multiple positions regarding Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to her husband’s death. Mrs. Mallard, a woman suffering from a heart condition is notified about her husband’s death in a car accident. Positions, such as a woman being repressed, or being in a male-dominant society, could be possible positions for the expectations during that century. By Mrs. Mallard reactions when she heard the news, it is difficult to understand what she was feeling. Mrs. Mallard’s heart condition caused a shocking reaction regarding her husband’s death; but then she gains a feeling of independence, and individuality within that hour, although she is finally disadvantaged of this freedom, with the return of her husband. Mrs. Mallard’s heart condition caused a shocking reaction regarding her husband’s death; when she received the news from her sister, and not giving a reaction back. She had a blank stare with no sort of emotion. She then wanted to be alone in her room, causing preoccupation for her sister and Richard a close friend. She then stood in front of an open window, releasing a form of relieving from her body and mind. “Into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul (Chopin, 4).” It seems as if she was never able to be herself, that having her husband next to her made her exhausted, and unhappy. Mrs. Mallard gains the feeling of independence, and individuality within that hour of hearing the news of her husband. After Mrs. Mallard had passed the in-shocked stage, she went into a feeling of freedom. “She said it over and over under her breath: …show more content…
Even though all the expressions she made of freedom, the readers can still sense that in a way she did have a love for her husband. No matter how miserable, or difficult a marriage can be; spending a lot of time with someone will make you care for them. “And yet she had loved him—sometimes. Often she had not. (Chopin, 13).” She not only expresses the love she might of have for her husband, but she also mentions how “She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death (Chopin, 11).” This just demonstrates that she did care about him, maybe he was kind and lovable to her. There can be multiple reasons for the way Mrs. Mallard was feeling, maybe this marriage was a set-up, maybe she got married young, and did not have a chance to explore the world. At the end of the story, with the reappearance of her husband, Mrs. Mallard suffered a heart attack. “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease—of the joy that kills. (Chopin, 20).” Maybe she was not happy after all, maybe she was confused with emotions she had felt in the past, and with the possibility of exploring things on her own. She was not a selfish person; she was a miserable person, trying to find her way in life. She did love her husband, and when seeing him, right before his death, she died happy, because she got to be free for that entire