The Story of an Hour displays the emotional state of the main character, Louise Mallard, after being informed about her husband’s death. However, she does not realize that this information might not be truthful, and, considering that she was in a repressive marriage, she starts feeling happy and joyful. The main problem is that her husband did not die and returned home after his working day. The way the author, Kate Chopin, creates the element of surprise throughout the whole story plays a pivotal role in the strong impression of the piece’s ending.
To begin with, Kate Chopin focuses on the distinction of Louise Mallard from the traditional Victorian image of a self-sacrificing woman. Therefore, her main aim is to present the moment of emancipation for the main character through her husband’s supposed death (Chopin). As a result, Kate Chopin managed to create a controversial piece at the time, and numerous magazines rejected her offer for publication. In addition, Chopin highlights the drastic change in Louise’s mood the moment she realizes the actual relief her husband’s death brings her (Chopin). To be more precise, the first feeling she experiences is grief and sorrow; however, it is quickly replaced by joy and happiness (Chopin). Still, Louise realizes that her marriage was not that awful, but her love for the man was occasional and not constant.
To sum up, the turning point of a story that makes it incredibly gripping for the reader is its ending. The piece is not about the settings, style, theme, or viewpoint of the author but about the irony of rejecting Victorian ideas that contributed to the unexpected repercussions. After Louise is filled with joy from her husband’s death, she cannot imagine that he could be alive. Consequently, when he comes home from work and appears at the doorstep, the main character dies from the surprise of this situation, resulting in a heart attack.
Work Cited
Chopin, Kate. âThe Story of an Hour.âOwl Eyes, 1894.