Being a woman in todays’ century cannot be compared to what women back in the day had to go through. The story is written in the late nineteenth century where women were supposed to be a housewife, living without the freedom women have today. Although this story was in the late nineteenth century I found the theme to the forbidden joy of independence. Chopin uses symbolism and the point of view to paint a picture of the theme, forbidden joy of independence. The symbols of the open window and Mrs. Mallards heart condition contributes to her freedom. The point of view and it being in third person omniscient giving the readers the insight on what actually happens and how all the characters feel.
To begin with, Kate Chopin uses symbolism in a way
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Mallard has heart trouble. I take that as another symbol that help explains the theme. In the very beginning of the story Chopin tells the readers that Mrs. Mallard has a heart condition and precaution was taken in telling her that Mr. Mallard was killed; “Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death” (38). Later in the story, after Mrs. Mallard had figured out she was free, Chopin tells the readers that, “Her pulse beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body” (39). Even though she had just gotten news of her husband’s death, her heart trouble did not stop her from knowing she has a whole different life waiting for her. Finally, at the end of the story, Chopin kills Mrs. Mallard and was killed by the heart disease, while we all knew that she died from her freedom being taken from her as soon as she just got it. The very last sentence of the story Chopin says, “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease-of joy that kills” (41); and I took that as she did not die of her heart trouble but of disappointment and how her freedom was gone in a blink of an