Kate Chopin penned the short story “Story of an Hour” in 1891. The story’s protagonist is Mrs. Louise Mallard, diagnosed with heart illness after learning that her husband, Brently Mallard, perished in a train accident. Even though Mrs. Mallard finally dies from her sickness, her character growth throughout the narrative contributes to her demise. Her death is eventually brought on by a confluence of her own conflicted emotions and inner turmoil about her husband’s passing, heart illness, and their marriage. This essay, therefore, analyzes the story’s protagonist, Mrs. Mallard, on the issue of marriage and character.
The short story identifies her as “afflicted with a heart trouble” (Chopin 2). She is also described as having “two white slender hands,” showing that she does not perform strenuous labor (Chopin 2). Additionally, Chopin describes her appearance, saying that she is youthful and has a serene face that suggests repression and inner power. Further, her face indicates that she is a lady troubled by internal strain. The turmoil she experiences internally robs her of her tranquility and reveals that Mrs. Mallard is suppressing an explosive force, which is ironic as externally, she is depicted as weak.
Consequently, upon learning that her husband has died unexpectedly, Mrs. Mallard is utterly distraught. It is clear from this that she has a deep affection for her husband and has become nothing after his death. Although it is evident that she has never previously been able to make choices for herself, as the minutes pass, she starts to think independently (Chopin 9). She is terrified of the sort of person she might become after realizing the unclean notions of thinking for herself have entered her thoughts. However, she acknowledges the thinking and struggles with the idea of living a life of her own choice without her spouse when she says, “Free, free, free!” implying that she finally embraced the liberation bestowed upon her (Chopin 11). The situation causes Mrs. Mallard to see her relationship as a cage she has to escape to be free.
Given the descriptions, Mrs. Mallard is not an evil woman. She is dedicated to the marriage, but the difficulty she has is that she has not been open with her spouse about her problems. She considers her husband inconsiderate of her needs (Chopin 11). She expresses her annoyance with her husband’s constant pressure on her. Chopin depicts Mr. Mallard as being insensitive to her wife’s needs. He does not consider her requirements as his wife, making her yearn for freedom.
In conclusion, Mrs. Mallard is a loving character in the story whom the narrator uses to impart valuable lessons on a spouse’s personality and marriage. Mrs. Mallard is shown as a soft woman who cannot express herself to her husband because of fear of dominance from her husband. However, she lets her inner self out upon learning about Mr. Mallard’s death. Such an intense influence dominance by the husband may also result in psychological suffering and mental instability, which might be fatal and harm people’s health.
Work Cited
Chopin, Kate. The Story of an Hour. Joe Books Ltd, 2018.