The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

The story of an hour

Analysis and interpretation

The Story of an Hour is a short story written by Kate Chopin. Kate was an American author that lived from 1850 to 1904. She is considered amongst many to be one of the first feminist authors of the 20th century. During the late 1800s and early 1900s many women struggled with gender roles in regards to their sexually and the issues of divorce and women’s role in society. These subjects are the main focus of most of Chopin’s work. The Story of an Hour is no different. The Story of an Hour is the story of an hour in the life of the young Mrs. Louise Mallard a woman whose wrinkles portray a repressed yet strong woman. As the story begins we are told that Mrs. Mallard is afflicted with “heart trouble”. When Louise’s sister and her husband’s friend Richards are informed that Mr. Brently Mallard has been killed in a railroad accident, they attempt to break the news as gently as possible. Louise weeps in her sister’s arm and then leaves to her room alone and locks her door. Inside she is terrified of the knowledge of her husband’s sudden death but she also realizes that it’s a pass to freedom. She loved her husband and he loved her, even though she is truly saddened by his death, she also feels liberated and free for the first time in her life. Instead of dreading the days ahead she is looking forward to them. After her epiphany she finally exits her room, newly resolved. She and her sister starts going down the stairs. Suddenly Mr. Mallard enters the house unknowingly of what has just transpired. When Louise sees him she dies.

The story is both tragic but is also a story of liberation. Mrs. Mallard’s situation is likely not a unique. She is an intelligent and independent woman, who understands how to act correctly according to the norms of the time period but it also becomes quite apparent that her thoughts and feeling are not proper for a woman in the late 1800s. Kate Chopin suggests, that all marriages, no matter how...