Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour

Where No Freedom Exists Women of the late 1800s had little to no freedom in their marriage. Women were not allowed to do anything besides stay home and take care of their children and husband. Women were forced to pass their wealth on to their husband, had no right to vote, and could not own their own property or vehicle. Women now have many rights that women in the late 1800s did not even know were possible. In Kate Chopin’s, “The Story of an Hour”, a story is told of a woman who feels stuck in her marriage and is craving freedom. The story starts off when the main character, Louise Mallard, receives horrid news that her husband has died while away at work. “She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance.” (Chopin 205). She goes upstairs to her room and looks out the window. She thinks of “spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that will be her own.” (Chopin 206). She sees all of the new

The women’s role was to stay at home and be the nurturer/caregiver. Although Mrs. Mallard did not have children, she had to rely on her husband to do everything she wanted to do for herself. She could not own her own home or car. She could not make her own money. She could not even vote. No woman wants to rely on a man for anything. Having no independence could be very depressing. There is no proof of physical/mental abuse from Mr. Mallard, but Mrs. Mallard is caught up in the possibilities of her future. She feels a sense of freedom from the death of her husband because she can now be her own person. She sat there “quite motionless, except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams.” (Chopin 206). She was dreaming of all the things she could accomplish now that she did not have to worry about her