Richard Lin's Essay on The Story of an Hour

The Story of an Hour: Essay

Louise Mallard was simply described as young, with a fair, calm face, whose wrinkles indicated repression and even certain strength. This element shows how strongly she is in repression. It makes me feel how depressing her life with her husband was. She is a lady that is in a marriage that is not fulfilling to her. All she ever wanted was freedom from the marriage. Actually, her soul is always filled with torture her husband has brought upon her. Because of her continual living under a depressing condition that has no meaning or excitement included, she looks older than her real age. She was so repressed due to her condition she was treated as if not a human being but a lower life form. She always lives by any intentions that society imposed on her: a woman overshadowed by her husband. Women are expected to maintain the role that society implies on them. Men are thought to be superior and women are asked to do what men say. In this story, I think Mr. Mallard is a tyrant or dictator, and Mrs. Mallard have to obey his husband blindly. Also, the society’s treatment of the disabled was vividly portrayed in the article “story of an hour”, “ There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow creature.” This short sentence makes us know that not just her husband was repressing her but men and women around her. Moreover, her marital life with her husband is not desirable. Louise struggled with her feelings about her marriage for years. The story seems to suggest that Brently was completely content in the marriage and assumed that Louise was too. This conflict is reflected in Louise’s internal struggle. In this story, Louise is tired of being stuck doing whatever her husband expects her to do. She looks forward to being independent and free. She doesn’t want to feel entitled to her husband at all times.

When the doctors conclude that Mrs. Mallard has died of heart disease, they are correct. However, it is wrong to conclude that Mrs. Mallard has died because she is so overjoyed that her husband is alive. In truth, she has died of disappointment, shock and surprise, rather than joy as the doctors diagnosed. She is a serious patient, and her physical body cannot suffer this surprise and bear the change of emotions. It is the sadness that kills Mrs. Mallard. Her free life has come to a sudden stop. Because now she was to be repressed in her husband’s presence once more and she could not bear it anymore. Her death reinforces the idea that her soul could never truly be free. The story is very ironic in some ways because Mr. Mallard was reported that he died in a railroad accident at the beginning of the story. But we know in the end of this story Mr. Mallard didn’t die. Maybe Mr. Mallard didn’t catch the train on time, so he didn’t suffer from the accident. This tragedy may be somewhat ironic for the characters in the story. As a matter of fact, we know the tragic news is wrong. The circumstances might lead the reader to believe that Louise’s husband’s death would cause her great pain, ironically, when she hears the news, she feels a great sense of relief. During the time when Mr. Mallard was not at home, his wife has changed dramatically on her emotion. At first Mrs. Mallard’s outside mind was happy, but her inside mind was very sorry for her husband’s death. Then she felt free and independent. Finally she found herself guilty. After Mrs. Mallard saw her husband come back, she died because she was so excited that her heart couldn’t tolerate the quick change of emotions.

There are a few symbols in the story, which are symbolic of Louise’s life of freedom. Spring is the time when living things are reborn. Child is another symbol of new birth, too. Likewise, Louise believes she will become productive, energized and reborn. She was young, new and somehow reborn. It seems that Mrs. Mallard get new birth from her husband’s death. The second symbol is the open window in Louise’s bedroom. The window suggests that there is no material object standing in the way of her new life. Through the window, there is a different world appearing in front of eyes. The scene from her window apparently contrast with Louise’s emotional state. The views outside the window are full of high spirit, hope and activity while Louise’s mind is filled with low spirit and bad mood. In the past, she lived under her husband’s control, but now her husband has gone, she’s able to look forward to the future when she can live for herself. There would be no one to live for her during those coming years.

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