The Ironic End In Kate Chopin's Story Of An Hour

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The Ironic End in Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour” In the "Story of an Hour" Kate Chopin tells a story that takes place in an hour and in two different scenarios belonging to the same place, a two-story house. Louise is the protagonist of this story and her life changes radically when the best friend of the family, Richard, lets her know the tragic death of her husband. The story is narrated in a semi-omniscient way in which the author tells us how Louise's unhappy life takes two sudden turns in just one hour. The story begins with news that could change the life of the protagonist drastically. News that at first may seem incredibly tragic but that end up acquiring a complete opposite aspect. Mrs. Mallard suffers from a heart …show more content…

Mallard gives in to her sister’s insistence of opening the door, she comes downstairs peacefully “she carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory”. Unfortunately, the story has a tragic twist for Louise as moments later as the thought to be deceased husband of Mrs. Mallard can be seen entering the door. The ironic twist in “The Story of an Hour” can be seen in the last line, “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease—of joy that kills”. Although one may think that she died from a heart attack after being happy to find out that her deceased husband is in fact, alive, some could argue that the shock of not seeing her husband dead, and of losing her newly regained freedom actually lead to her heart failure. “The Story of an Hour” is an enjoyable and addictive reading that should be read calmly to truly comprehend it. It is one of those stories in which nothing is what it seems and in which the reader stops to examine and ask the right questions. The ending in unpredictable, and although closed, it leaves the readers wanting to know more as it is full of ironies that can make a reader rethink the situation and think if things are really like the story tells. Chopin’s beautiful writing style provides the readers with the fundamental background, which emphasized the characterization of the characters and the importance of symbols, ironies and plot