In this character analysis I’ve chosen to review Mrs. Louise Mallard from Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”. Louise is the protagonist in this story and even though the story covers a short span of time, we can see that she is a dynamic character. The story begins with Louise being told of the death of her husband, shown how she processes this information and through it finds a new joy, and then she suddenly dies after discovering realizing that Mr. Mallard was still alive. Throughout the story she’s seen by other characters as frail, but the narrator shows her inner strength. Some readers might view her as callous while others might see her as an abused woman redeemed. I however, see her as a young lady repressed by the society of her times, and smothered by the love of those around her who realizes that although …show more content…
I think not. Louise was realizing that although the man who loved her and cared for her was gone, so was that chapter in her life and now a new chapter emerges. One all her own, she would not be depicted by society as an old maid, but as a widow, one free to live as she chooses. For “what could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being! […] 'Free! Body and soul free!' (15-16). She is now at the window where she once stared with dread, now dreaming of a future. “She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long.” (19) As she is standing there her sister begs her to leave her room for she fears for Louise’s health. Louise then goes to the hall, head held high and eyes bright. She’s a new woman, one with hopes and dreams. She “clasped her sister’s waist”, she didn’t need the support anymore, and she could now be a support to others. And they descended the stairs together. Her eyes shining and strong with