What is the meaning behind the story of an hour?


What is the meaning behind the story of an hour?

"The Story of an Hour" is a short story written by Kate Chopin on Ap. ... The title of the short story refers to the time elapsed between the moments at which the protagonist, Louise Mallard, hears that her husband, Brently Mallard, is dead, then discovers that he is alive after all.

Why did Mrs Mallard die in the story of an hour?

They say she died of "heart disease--of joy that kills" (11). In one sense they are right: Mrs. Mallard has for the last hour experienced a great joy. ... She "sometimes" (13) loved her husband, but in a way she has been dead, a body subjected to her husband's will.

What is the main theme of story of an hour?

The main themes in “The Story of an Hour” are freedom, time, and identity. Freedom: Louise is overjoyed by the realization that Brently's death will render her free to live as she chooses, highlighting the repressive nature of Victorian marriages.

What is the joy that kills Mrs Mallard?

Carroll Khan, M.A. The "joy that kills" is Louise Mallard's ruined dream of experiencing a free life the moment she discovers that Brently is alive.

Can joy really kill?

It's official - too much happiness can kill you. Well, that's according to new Swiss research, which suggests one in 20 cases of takotsubo cardiomyopathy - a potentially fatal change in the shape of the heart's left ventricle - is caused by joy, rather than stress, anger or fear.

Why is Mrs Mallard at first afraid of what she sees coming to her?

Mallard at first afraid of what she sees "coming to her?" She has lived a constrained life so long that freedom seems frightening to her at first. She has some idea of what the thing is, and she knows she will have to reject the idea. She has no idea what is "coming to her," and she wants to avoid facing the unknown.

Did Mr Mallard love his wife?

We know that Mr. Mallard had "kind, tender hands" (13) and that throughout their married life he "had never looked save with love upon [his wife]" (13). ... Mallard was nothing but nice to his wife, and never did anything to make her feel like his death would be a blessing.

Did Mrs Mallard love her husband?

Mallard admits to herself that she had sometimes loved her husband, but "often she had not." After she believes that he is dead, she realizes that love is worth little when compared to independence and self-possession. In short, though she sometimes loves her husband, Mrs. Mallard loves her own independence more.

Why is the story of an hour ironic?

The irony in “The Story of an Hour” is that other characters mistakenly attribute Mrs. Mallard's death to her shocked elation that her husband Brently is alive. Supposedly killed in a train accident, Brently suddenly appears at the end of the story.

What is the greatest irony in the story of an hour?

Perhaps, the most salient example of situational irony is in the turn of events in the hour that suggest that Bently Mallard is dead and Mrs. Louise Mallard has fully come alive. For, incongruously the narrative abruptly changes and it is Bently Mallard who yet lives while Mrs.

What is the irony of this story?

Irony is a storytelling tool used to create a contrast between how things seem and how they really are beneath the surface. The term comes from the Latin word ironia, which means “feigned ignorance.” The three main types used in literature are dramatic, situational, and verbal, as mentioned above.

What causes Mrs Mallard's heart to fail at the end of the story?

the stress of having to manage the entire household. herself.

What is ironic about the death of Mrs Mallard after she sees her husband is still alive?

What is ironic about the death of Mrs. Mallard after she sees her husband is still alive? She wanted a long life but then she dies right after she thinks it.

What is the true cause of the heart attack that kills Louise?

But the doctors' conclusion that she'd died of overwhelming joy is ironic because it had been the loss of joy that had actually killed her. Indeed, Louise seems to have died of a broken heart, caused by the sudden loss of her much-loved independence.

Why was Mrs Mallard unhappy in her marriage?

Mallard was unhappy in her marriage because she felt frustrated and restricted by the confines marriage and her husband had placed upon her. It is evident that she felt trapped in her marriage, since her principal feeling when reflecting on her husband's death is one of freedom.

How does Mrs Mallard View her love for her husband?

In "The Story of an Hour," Mrs. Mallard views her love for her husband, Brently, as an emotion she sometimes felt. She did not have a bad marriage. However, whatever love she felt for Brently is insignificant to her in the face of the overwhelming sense of freedom she feels now that he is dead.

What does Mrs Mallard do when she hears that her husband has been killed?

Mallard is obviously sad about her husband's death. She cries for some time and then goes to her room, locking herself in. However, she leaves the window wide open and stares out of it, realizing that the world is still the same, that nothing has stopped due to her husband's death.

How did Mrs Mallard feel about her husband?

Mallard was sick because of a husband who controlled her and treated her bad so as she began to grieve, they were afraid her crying would make her more sick as her heart broke from love. When Mrs. Mallard hears the news about her husbands death, she immediately feels strong grief.

What did Mrs Mallard resented about her marriage?

What has Mrs. Mallard apparently resented about her marriage? She is upset and cries at first. They have to tell her the ideas about it little by little.

What kind of person is Mrs Mallard in the story of an hour?

An intelligent, independent woman, Louise Mallard understands the “right” way for women to behave, but her internal thoughts and feelings are anything but correct. When her sister announces that Brently has died, Louise cries dramatically rather than feeling numb, as she knows many other women would.

What did Mrs Mallard do when she entered her room?

Mallard, a woman described as having "heart trouble," learns of her husband's sudden death in a train accident. She weeps, then retires to her room to be alone. While she is in the room, she looks out the window and begins to notice all of the blooming life outside her home.

Why did they take great care to tell her?

Why did they take great care to tell her? she had a heart condition.

Who tells Mrs Mallard that her husband has died?

Louise Mallard has heart trouble, so she must be informed carefully about her husband's death. Her sister, Josephine, tells her the news. Louise's husband's friend, Richards, learned about a railroad disaster when he was in the newspaper office and saw Louise's husband, Brently, on the list of those killed.

Who breaks the news of Mr Mallard's death?

Gently. Josephine and Richards try to break the news of Mr. Mallard's death as gently as possible to Mrs. Mallard.

What emotions is Mrs Mallard experiencing as she gazed out the window?

Mallard experiencing as she gazes out the window? Mrs. Louise Mallard experiences mixed emotions while gazing out the window in Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour." She has just learned of her husband's sudden death. Part of her is devastated by his passing, but at the same time, she is happy and hopeful.

Why is Louise's family concerned about her?

Why is Louise's family concerned about her? We learn of Louise's heart trouble in the story's very first line: Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death.

Why did he hurry to tell Mrs Mallard the news?

Richards rushes to tell Mrs. Mallard the news because he wants to_____. You can tell that society believed that women were fragile when josephine______. After she cries Mrs.

What feeling does Mrs Mallard realize most values?

She is free to live her life the way she wants to without anyone controlling her. What feeling does Mrs. Mallard realize she values most? The freedom to do what she wants.

What happens when brently Mallard turns up alive?

She has a heart attack. They said she had a heart attack from joy of seeing her husband alive. ... She dies of "a joy that kills" but it's actually a heart attack from grief because she is upset that he is alive.

What happens toward the end of the story of an hour that changes the entire story?

At the end of this story, Louise Mallard drops dead when she sees her husband enter the house. The doctor and other characters presume that she has been overcome with "joy that kills" since she had been told that Brently, her husband, was killed in a train accident.