Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” (Bayou Folk 1894) examines women’s desire for freedom after long silence of suffering within marriage bounds. The story revolves around Mrs. Mallard, wife of Brently Mallard, who thinks that her husband is dead. Knowing that Mrs. Mallard had a cardiac disease, Josephine had an intention to gently break the sad news to her . Richards, a friend of her husband, also arrived to confirm Brently’s Death. One may perceive that Mrs. Mallard is not grieved with the news. Mrs. Mallard t is an example of a woman, whose suffering may eventually come to an end when the author depicts unexpected behavior of a widow. Contrary to the readers’ expectations, Mrs. Mallard chooses to lock herself in her room, where she fantasizes about the long-awaited freedom. Her husband’s death brings her so much joy and happiness. She vaguely remembers her husband and seems to pay more tribute to the mystery.
The author provides a deeper insight to her life before marriage, in which she is perceived as calm and young. It is evident that her condition had deteriorated since her marriage to Mr. Brently Mallard, when she was anticipating for a day not to be answerable to her husband. Moreover, the author provides descriptive scenes of the changed environment through when Mrs. Mallard perceives a new dawn in her life. Notwithstanding, Chopin uses suspense when unfolding the story as all joy and happiness the main heroine experiences is behind a closed door. However, Mrs. Mallard’s joy turns into a tragedy when she learns that her husband has survived the rail road accident. When a doctor arrives to assess her heart attack, he certifies her death. (Chopin 2).