Marina Ristic
ENG 102
Prof Jon Saul
01.17.2007.
STORY OF AN HOUR
In “The story of an hour” written by Kate Chopin, a wife has a startlingreaction to
the news of her husband’s death. Mrs. Mallard experiences her epiphany, anunexpected
moment of enlightenment,when she realized that her husband’s deathreleased her to
fulfill herself as an individual, something she wouldn’t even dare to thinkabout before.
Mrs. Mallard is a very strong, brave and independent woman.
The story was written in 1894, a time when women had far less freedom and fewer
choices than women of today.Mrs. Mallard has an amazingly strong personality. Unlike
other women of that time, who would feel lost, frightened, shocked and scared of the
prospect of livingon their own, she felt released. When she utteredthe words,” Free!
Body and soulfree!” she could hardly keep quiet; she wanted to shout from joy. She was
overwhelmed with “monstrous joy”. However, she was accustomed to hiding and holding
in her emotions.Her marriage repressed her. As she said, it “Bends the will”. For all
thoseyears ofmarriage she learned to repress her feelings, desires, wishes and thoughts.
Herrolewas to be Mrs. Mallard, the wife of successful businessman Mr. Mallard.By
marrying Mr. Mallard, Louise lost her identity. She became only a shadow of her
husband. Nobody everlooked at her as Louise Mallard, a womanwith great potential and
a strong personality. As a conventionally married woman, shecompletely depended on
her husband. It was her responsibilityto make his life composed andcomplete. She was
not happy with her marriage, she felt captured andimprisoned. Afterhearing about her
husband’s death, she was overwhelmed withemotions of freedom. Maybe sheloved her
husband, maybe she did not; yet, she definitely lovedthis new feeling of freedom and
independence. “What could love, the unsolved mystery,count for in face ofthis
possession of self-assertion which she suddenlyrecognized as thestrongest impulse of
her being!”(Chopin).Not even for a second wasshe afraid of living on her own. She was
excited and anxious to devote her life to herself, to fulfill herself as an individual.
If she had had the opportunity to choose between marriage and career, maybe she
would have chosen career. Her marriage made her very frustrated, depressed and
unhappy. If she hadlived in different time, she would have been able to pursue and fulfill
her dreams and accomplishments. Moreover, she would have been able to be
independent. Maybe she would have attended the university, maybe she would have
become even more successful than herhusband. If only she had had a chance. In that
sudden moment of revelation when she realizes that she lost herhusband and she was
free, she understood that, from that moment, only she would be responsible for all her
decisions. The lack of privacy and time devoted only to herself made Mrs. Mallard very
suppressed and unhappy in her marriage.
There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would
live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending her in that
blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right
to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature.(Chopin).
It must have been hard for ambitious andindependent woman to live a life only as
somebody’s wife.
In those times, when malesabsolutely dominated, marriage was definitely a
bad bargain for women. Nowadays, ifwomen are trapped in an unhappy marriage they
can divorce. However, back then, that was not be possible.Mrs. Mallard would have felt
much happier if she had lived in today’s society, where women have equal rights and
equal opportunities as men. With her personality, she would definitely excel and achieve
remarkable success because she was not afraid to take chances. She would have a chance
to prosper and advance in her career as well as inher life.