The Story Of An Hour Character Analysis Mrs Mallard
“The Story of an Hour” is a short story written by Kate Chopin in 1894. The story is about a woman, Mrs. Louise Mallard, who is told that her husband has died in a train accident. Initially, Mrs. Mallard is devastated by the news of her husband's death, but as the story progresses, she begins to experience a sense of freedom and happiness that she has never felt before. This article will provide a comprehensive character analysis of Mrs. Mallard in "The Story of an Hour".
The Life of Mrs. Mallard
Mrs. Mallard is a middle-aged woman who suffers from a heart condition. She is described as having “a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength”. The story is set in the late 19th century, a time when women were expected to be submissive to their husbands and their roles were limited to being a wife and a mother. Mrs. Mallard's life is no different. She is a married woman who has spent most of her life taking care of her husband and their household.
Mrs. Mallard's Reaction to Her Husband's Death
When Mrs. Mallard is informed of her husband's death, she is overwhelmed with grief. She locks herself in her room and weeps. However, as time passes, she begins to feel a sense of freedom. She realizes that she is no longer tied down by her husband's expectations and can now live her life as she pleases. She is excited to have a life of her own and to be free from the constraints of marriage.
Mrs. Mallard's Sense of Freedom
As Mrs. Mallard begins to feel a sense of freedom, she becomes more and more excited. She starts to think about all the things she can do now that she is no longer married. She imagines a life where she can do as she pleases and not have to answer to anyone. She is thrilled at the prospect of being able to live her life on her own terms.
Mrs. Mallard's Demise
As Mrs. Mallard is enjoying her newfound freedom, her husband walks in the door. He was not on the train that crashed, and he is alive and well. Mrs. Mallard is shocked and devastated. She had been looking forward to a life of freedom and now she realizes that she is back under the control of her husband. She dies of a heart attack, not because of the shock of seeing her husband, but because of the realization that her freedom was only temporary.
Conclusion
The character of Mrs. Mallard in “The Story of an Hour” is complex and multidimensional. She is a woman who has spent most of her life in a subservient role, but when she is given the news of her husband's death, she experiences a sense of freedom that is both exhilarating and terrifying. Unfortunately, her freedom is short-lived and she dies of a heart attack when her husband returns. The story highlights the limited roles that women were expected to play in society in the late 19th century and the consequences of trying to break free from those roles.