The death of a loved one can overwhelm anyone with emotions of grief and sadness. However, in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, Mrs. Mallard feels a sense of freedom from the thought of not being married anymore. She finds out that her husband, Brently Mallard, has died in a train accident from Richards who is Brently’s friend. Richards sees Brently’s name in the newspaper and comes to tell Mrs. Mallard that her husband died in a train wreck. Her sister, Josephine is already there with her. Mrs. Mallard has a weak heart so they try to break the news to her gently. She goes to her room, sits in a chair, and looks out her window. She began to feel joy for her newfound freedom. Her sister, Josephine, was also at her house and urged her to come out of her room. Mrs. Mallard comes out of her room and goes downstairs with Josephine. Someone opens the front door and to their surprise, it was Brently Mallard. Richards tries …show more content…
Mallard's thoughts to the reader. In a marriage, men and women depend upon each other. They also inflict themselves on their spouse. The author shows us that Mrs. Mallard thinks of her marriage as a “ powerful will bending her” (202). Although some people may argue that Mrs. Mallard was physically or mentally abused by her husband, there is no hint of it in the story. Instead, Mrs. Mallard thinks about how she will “weep again when she saw [his] kind, tender hands folded in death; the face that had never looked saved with love upon her” (202). This quote shows that Mrs. Mallard would not think of his hands as kind or tender if he abused her, but he obviously loves her. Mrs. Mallard recalls that she “ had loved him--sometimes. Often she had not.” The love she had for her husband did not really matter anymore because of her joy as being an independent individual. She is no longer bound by her marriage and she is finally free to explore and simply be