The STory of an Hour Essay

Submitted By granthambg
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Pages: 3
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09/19/2013

Character Analysis

703 words

“The Story of an Hour” Is there a right or wrong way to handle the death of a spouse? In Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour”, readers will see Mrs. Mallard as a developing character and see how she handles the death of her spouse. Mrs. Mallard makes several changes during the course of this story. First the reader will see that Mrs. Mallard is grief stricken with the news of the death of her spouse. As she begins to let the news sink in she experiences mixed emotions sadness and happiness. The next change readers will see Mrs. Mallard undergo an epiphany. Mrs. Mallard is happy, that with the death of her husband her life is just starting to begin. By the end of the story the reader will see another character change in Mrs. Mallard, when the feeling of repression overcomes her it is more than she can handle. When Louise Mallard first hears the news of the death of her spouse she experiences severe grief and heartache. Mrs. Mallard feels great heartache with the death of her spouse. The reader knows how Louise feels with the news of the death of her husband as the story says, " She wept at once with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms " (169). Any wife would be heartbroken at the news of a lost spouse. With this news feelings of pain, agony, and fear come to you. There would be no more husband coming in at the end of his workday to tell her all about his day. There would be no more her lovingly preparing his lunch as she did this very morning. Mrs. Mallard will now be alone for the rest of her life. Her life with Bentley is over. Could she go on without her spouse? How could she continue by herself? Physical exhaustion is overcoming her from all her grief stricken weeping from the loss of her husband. Mrs. Mallard is coping with the death of her spouse in sadness and in joy. As hard as it is to believe she is having feelings of joy. This character is feeling a roller coaster of emotions. The readers wonder how this character can be feeling joy. Mrs. Mallard says that she is " 'free, free, free! ' "(169). She would enjoy all the seasons of the year for now she would do as she wish. Her life did not depend on her husband anymore. This new life will continue on without her husband and be better. She can survive without her husband. It is okay to feel this way. Mrs. Mallard live all these years
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