Mallard's Irony

In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, there is a major use of symbolism, characterization and setting. The story talks about how Mrs. Mallard becomes independent after hearing her husband was dead. Against the other character’s beliefs, at all times Mrs. Mallard longed to have independence. Mrs. Mallard always denied that her feelings were valid. It is not transparent that Mrs. Mallard feels this way so Chopin uses a lot of details and puts a play on words to show that to the people reading. When Chopin uses these elements of style, it comes together and causes irony. The use of irony is important in Chopin’s writing because of the fact that it helps put the theme of indepence at play. As a reader, if you do not realize the irony in the

After hearing about her husband’s death, Mrs. Mallard flees to her room to be alone. “There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair” (Chopin 212). As she sinks into the chair, it symbolises her worries being buried down. Originally Mrs. Mallard did not see the good that would come from the situation. Yet when she did, it was almost along the lines of her relaxing into the chair signifying the peace and relaxation she now has. The chair cushioned all her worries and made them go away. When she sat in the chair, she looked outside and watched what was happening around her. “There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds...” (Chopin 213). The clouds cleared away as the pretty day peaked out from the darkness. “The clouds again represent her married life, which cast shadows on her happiness, but now the horizon of her life is clearing (Rosenblum 1). The sky is a symbol to show the new beginnings. The despair of her husband dying had to happen in order to move along, just like the clouds, to the act of her being free. “When Brently Mallard suddenly returns home, however, Mrs. Mallard’s death is both literal and symbolic — in one hour, her freedom has been won and lost” (Harris 1). An hour later after hearing the news, her husband returns home causing Mrs. Mallard to die in sorrow. Her independence was taken away from her so she did one of the only things

Mallard perceives her life. Right away, Chopin creates irony by the means of describing Mrs. Mallard in the first sentence of the short story. “Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death” (Chopin 212). When that is explained, it is the first hint of irony but is not as clear until later in the story. More details in the last sentence come in to wrap up to the readers that there is irony in her heart troubles. “This ‘great care’ (352) not only contrasts with the sudden revelation that will occur at the story's conclusion but also seems full of irony in light of Louise's subsequent reaction to Josephine's news” (Evans 1). The readers know more about Mrs. Mallard than Josephine, her sister, and Richard who was friends with her husband. At the end the characters believe that she is physically sick. Even though she dealt with what she did, she handled it well. “Louise Mallard is Kate Chopin’s strongest example of the self-assertive woman…” (Rosenblum 1). Louise knows what she wants and is best for her. Despite this, she was respectful. “She was young, with a fair, with a calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength” (Chopin 213). She did not make it obvious to those around her the struggle she was living out. Although when her husband died, her struggle ended and she became