Mistreatment In The Story Of An Hour

Struggling with mistreatment in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin Throughout the story “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, Josephine’s treatment of Louise as a child is not appropriate to her husband’s death. Throughout the story everyone around Louise treats her as a fragile object that cannot do anything without being accompanied with assistance because of her heart disease. Louise sister believes she cannot be alone because with her heart condition she won’t be able to handle the death of her husband and will eventually kill herself. Through Josephine’s treatment, Chopin shows readers not to underestimate anyone with a disability because they are human beings also and can make their own life decisions and is not in need of treatment of a child.

Instantly Louise feels the grief of her husband’s death but soon come realise she is now free. Nobody understand that she is free and is a grown woman who can deal with death on her own. Knowing her husband is gone, Louise views death through an epiphany that changes how she sees her husband’s death and because of this Josephine, Louise’s, sister goes to her aid in an age inappropriate manor. Because of Louise’s heart condition, Josephine begins to comfort her to the point that Louise locks herself in a room to cope with the loss of her husband, “Josephine was knocking before the closed door…imploring for admission. What are you doing, Louise? For heaven’s sake open the door…Go away. I am not making myself ill.” (28) The quote shows that Josephine consistently treats her sister like a child. Josephine is trying to comfort her unconditionally and talks down to her because she is dealing with a heart disease, thus thinking she is incapable of dealing with a situation