The Story of an Hour - Kate Chopin

The character of Mrs. Mallard in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” finds freedom in a moment and loses it just as quickly. Chopin is truly a master of the short story, as she has managed to pack an ironic story full of symbolism in a mere page and a half. Upon hearing the news of her husbands death, Mrs. Mallard felt “there was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully” (Chopin 267). The fear that Mrs. Mallard felt is her realization that she was not upset about her husbands death because it brought her freedom; for the first time in her life, she would be allowed to live and do what she pleased, without having to answer to her husband. Many people may find Mrs. Mallard’s behavior strange and question why she is not more upset over the death of her husband. However, we are not completely certain of the circumstances of Mrs. Mallard’s relationship with her husband. We are told that her face “bespoke repression and even a certain strength” (Chopin 267). Also, the story was written in 1894, a time when most women were not allowed to break out of the wife and mother mold. Through this, we can infer that perhaps Mrs. Mallard was abused by her husband or completely controlled by him. One cannot say that Mrs. Mallard was wrong in feeling what she felt when she thought that her husband had died for she was finally free from the marriage and the man that ruled her life for so long; it is only human to want to yearn for freedom and independence in our lifetime.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Mallard would never get to feel that sense of freedom as Chopin utilizes the power of irony when Mr. Mallard walks through the door and his wife dies “of joy that kills” (Chopin 268). Here, we can liken the character of Mrs. Mallard to Peyton Farquhar in Ambrose Beirce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”. Both characters were struggling against a force greater than themselves – Farquhar against his enemies at the bridge and Mrs. Mallard against her dominating husband. Sadly, it is only in death that both of these characters defeated their opponents and found the freedom they longed for.