In Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin use a series of symbols that help us to have a better understanding of the story. One of the symbols used is the disease suffered by Louise Mallard and that in turn is a sample of a heart afflicted by the lack of freedom. This illness makes us understand that serious news could represent death for her. This allows us to keep the expectation throughout our reading. Another symbol that I found interesting was the open window, because normally when we are sad, we tend to resort to darkness, while Louise looks through the window that we might think it represents an exit or a new beginning to freedom and the opportunities that await her after the death of her husband. The open window represents a clear and bright way of seeing the distance and the future of Louise that for her will no longer hampered. Mrs. Mallard's happiness was so much. When she thought the time has finally come to confront …show more content…
Women were expected to be on the lookout for household chores, childcare, and that their husbands were comfortable and well cared for. All this regardless of what women wanted would say or do. That was why Kate writes the story of many women and perhaps was a way of identifying herself with Mrs. Mallard. At that time, there were many women like Louise, who were desiring freedom and who were dominated and men’s will imposed on them. Most of the women were known by the names of their husbands, they did not have a porpoise identity, and that was what Mrs. Mallard wanted. For that reason, when thought she was free, thought that self-determination towards her husband had died too. She would no longer live for her husband, but would begin to live for her. The death of her husband meant breaking those chains that had her tied to the obligations for her husband, finally could achieve his much-desired independence. "Free! Body and soul free!" (Paragraph