Introduction
One of the primary elements of The Story of an Hour, written by Kate Chopin, that has not only made the short story popular but also has highlighted an important metaphor is the ending. Namely, after the joy Mrs. Mallard feels when finding out about her husband’s death, she is not able to handle finding out he is alive and well, which is why she ultimately passes away from a heart attack.
Discussion
The ending may be perceived as the irony and the fate that followed after the rather cruel views exemplified by Mrs. Mallard. However, while the way the story progresses is, indeed, ironic, the death symbolizes the dismissal of an old life. Namely, Mrs. Mallard was happy her husband died because she finally felt free and imagined what her life could be like without her partner. As a result, when her dreams are ruined by the otherwise good news that he is alive, her newly acquired sense of freedom does not allow her to continue her existence without making a change.
Mrs. Mallard was a changed person when faced with the accident that her sister told her about. Instead of faking grief or convincing herself she is emotionally ruined, she accepted the reality and was described as “drinking in a very elixir of life” (Chopin). Death inspired life, inspiration, and a prospect of a brighter, independent future. As a result, having to give that away after just feeling it for the first time was too much for the protagonist. Mrs. Mallard’s death is the physical rejection of the world in which she loses her freedom and sense of self again after finding it under strange circumstances.
(The Story of an Hour is a short story published in 1894 exemplifying a fictional situation in which the sister of the protagonist informs her she lost her husband in an accident. The widow, Mrs. Mallard, is rather upset at the thought of what happened before becoming more aware of the feelings she is experiencing and realizing she is joyful. Her newly acquired freedom inspires her, yet her husband comes home alive and well. As a result, Mrs. Mallard dies of a heart attack, not being able to accept reality. The ending correlates with the metaphorical exemplification of avoidance of reality and the inability to give up freedom after tasting it for the first time.
Mrs. Mallard felt unhappy in her marriage, which gave her a reason to desire freedom. For example, when her love for her husband is reflected upon, it is stated that “often she had not” loved him (Chopin). In relation to the thesis, it is clear that wanting to break free is at the core of the loveless marriage between the two characters.
Mrs. Mallard’s craving for freedom is highlighted in her desire to continue her life journey alone. For example, it is highlighted that the protagonist imagines “years to come that would belong to her” (Chopin). As the thesis states, living in a world where she has to give her years away to a man is not worth living in.
The last sentence of the short story illustrates what ultimately killed the protagonist. It is described as “the joy that kills” (Chopin). In this case, the joy, namely, the prospect of having a new life, killed Mrs. Mallard when she discovered it was gone.
Conclusion
The short story is an illustration of how a lack of love is worse than loneliness. Ultimately, the protagonist dies, which is a direct interpretation of not wanting to live in a world in which she is not happy and independent.
Work Cited
Chopin, Kate. The Story of an Hour, 1897. Archive, Web.