In the short story, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, it is written from an outsider’s perspective of Mrs. Mallard and her life. Chopin does not give us any indication as to what Mrs. Mallard is thinking about the whole situation, she just tells us her actions. We are let into the way she feels about the news of her husband dying and her coping skills. The story starts out by saying that Mrs. Mallard has heart trouble and that the news of her husband should be said as “[gently as possible]” (Chopin 115). “The Story of an Hour” uses symbolism and irony to incorporate the theme of the forbidden joy of independence.
The time period in which the story is written in affects the story and its theme, because it was written in 1894 and wives were supposed to submit to their …show more content…
Mallard’s sense of freedom is short lived and yet, she felt freer than she has ever felt before in her life as a married woman. Her forbidden joy of independence is shown throughout the story because her thoughts come and she tries to hide them away because she does not want to be happy about her husband’s death (Chopin 116). The symbolism of springtime and her mystery feeling both help explain her sense of freedom that she has not felt in a long time. As soon as she gives into her freedom, she realizes what she has been missing for so long and she enjoys it (Chopin 116). The irony used to talk about Mrs. Mallard’s heart trouble also is important to better understand the story. The time period in which Mrs. Mallard lives in plays a role on how she is treated. That is why when she is excited about the fact that she is free, her sister tells her that she is making herself sick (Chopin 116). As soon as Mrs. Mallard starts to think for herself, she is thought to be ill and is told to keep quiet (Chopin 116). The point of it all is that Mrs. Mallard was just getting used to the idea of being independent and her death proves that there is no joy of
The time period in which the story is written in affects the story and its theme, because it was written in 1894 and wives were supposed to submit to their …show more content…
Mallard’s sense of freedom is short lived and yet, she felt freer than she has ever felt before in her life as a married woman. Her forbidden joy of independence is shown throughout the story because her thoughts come and she tries to hide them away because she does not want to be happy about her husband’s death (Chopin 116). The symbolism of springtime and her mystery feeling both help explain her sense of freedom that she has not felt in a long time. As soon as she gives into her freedom, she realizes what she has been missing for so long and she enjoys it (Chopin 116). The irony used to talk about Mrs. Mallard’s heart trouble also is important to better understand the story. The time period in which Mrs. Mallard lives in plays a role on how she is treated. That is why when she is excited about the fact that she is free, her sister tells her that she is making herself sick (Chopin 116). As soon as Mrs. Mallard starts to think for herself, she is thought to be ill and is told to keep quiet (Chopin 116). The point of it all is that Mrs. Mallard was just getting used to the idea of being independent and her death proves that there is no joy of