The Story of an Hour

Mrs. Mallard

In “The story of an Hour” Kate Chopin describes a young women’s response towards her husband’s death. The opinions that the reader will have from the story will vary on person to person due to personal experiences. The experience and wisdom that I have gained throughout my life help me understand, relate and even despise Mrs. Mallard’s character. On the other hand I feel pity for Mrs. Mallards. I think she felt trapped in a situation that she found to be inescapable. She felt lonely, restless, and did not know how to help herself. Yet, on the other hand, I do not feel sorry for her character. Almost after immediately finding out that her husband is dead, she rejoices at her new freedom. This shows that she was a selfish and cowardly person.

The story takes place in the late 1800s in London, a time when women had very limited rights. A time when women were not allowed to vote or work outside their homes. During the Victorian Era women were expected to stay home and take care of the house and kids. The expected career for all women at the time was marriage. Mrs. Mallard probably went through similar lifestyle; women in that era were not able to satisfy their own needs. Therefore we can assume that Mrs. Mallard got married at an early age. Also the fact that fact that her marriage wasn’t probably going as well as it could, this may have caused her to feel lost in the world in which she knew not even herself. Also the fact that she was unable to experience life for herself resulted her desiring for independence. This may have been the reason why Mrs. Mallard was in a sensation of ecstasy when she found out her new freedom.

I personally know how it feels to be in a relationship that is going bad. One feels there’s no way out of the relationship; this can cause a person to become lonely and impatient for independence. The fact that I have experienced a similar situation enables me to relate to the character of Mrs. Mallard and can justify the feelings of sympathy and compassion I have towards her. In addition, I know how exciting it is to be able to experience life, adventures, and independence. In this way, I understand Mrs. Mallard’s irrepressible feeling of joy at her newfound liberation.