After reading “The Story of an Hour”, “Desiree’s Baby” and “A Pair of Silk Stockings” by Kate Chopin, I believe the woman who achieved the most autonomy was Mrs. Sommers. Autonomy is defined as a self-governing community free from an external control or influence (Dictionary.com). In regards to the autonomy of an individual, autonomy is independence or freedom, as of the will or one 's actions (Dictionary.com). In these stories, I believe Choin allowed only one woman to experience true autonomy and that was Mrs. Sommers. Mrs. Sommers was the only woman who actually got to spend time thinking of herself and spending money on whatever she wanted.
In the first story “The Story of an Hour”, when Mrs. Mallard heard news of her husband’s death she cried which showed that she was devastated by the tragedy. The issue of her husband dying no longer became an issue when she changed her perspective. She began to feel empowered by the thought of her husband’s death stating “There would be no one to live for
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She solely lived her life listening to everyone else around her and did not think for herself and her benefit. She only lived to please her husband who had the “spirit of Satan” and care for her baby. Desiree’s didn 't even have the courage to stand up to her husband and tell him that was not black. Desiree only left the control of her husband because he told her to leave. Even when her husband clearly didn’t love her anymore, she still wished for him to change his mind so she could stay. She didn’t even know what to do when she wasn’t under his control. Although Desiree didn 't have autonomy when it came to her husband, she did choose not to go home after leaving. She went down her own path after living her entire life being controlled by the people around her. In a sense, Desiree did achieve autonomy after leaving but only after leaving her husband she was truly