Heart Failure In Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour

Believe it or not, dying of a broken heart is a reality. In “The Story of an Hour” the main character is Mrs. Mallard and in the beginning it is said that she has some kind of heart condition that is not described. But if she is exposed too much to stress or is startled then her heart could kill her. Later in the story, her friends and family try to break the news as gently as possible that her husband had been in a horrific accident and was killed. Mrs. Mallard takes the news and goes into her room to be alone. The reader then realizes that instead of being upset about his death, she's relieved and happy about her new found freedom. But that soon changes when Mr. Mallard comes walking into the house having no idea that everyone thought he was dead. He had no idea of the accident and he was alive and well. When Mrs. Mallard sees him she goes into shock and her heart gives out and she dies. Everyone had said she had died from

Heart failure often develops after other conditions have damaged or weakened your heart. In heart failure, the main pumping chambers of your heart (the ventricles) may become stiff and not fill properly between beats. In some cases of heart failure, your heart muscle may become damaged and weakened, and the ventricles stretch to the point that the heart can't pump blood efficiently throughout your body. Over time, the heart can no longer keep up with the normal demands placed on it to pump blood to the rest of your body. The term "congestive heart failure" comes from blood backing up into the liver, abdomen, lower extremities and lungs (Heart Failure). Chronic diseases such as diabetes, HIV, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, or a buildup of iron or protein also may contribute to heart failure (Heart Failure). Overall when you hear the term dying from a broken heart, more than likely it is caused from either a heart attack or heart