Plot Analysis of The Story of an Hour PDF

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1 Suri Yuvraj Singh Suri Prof. Shannon Tivnan Introduction to Literature 2000 19 October 2018

Plot Analysis of The Story of an Hour In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”, the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard suffers from a heart disease and the way she handles the news of her dead husband is quite intriguing. Chopin unfolds the story of Mrs. Mallard, carefully explaining what she goes through from the time she learns about her husband’s death to when she is alone in her room. The main theme of the story is freedom for Mrs. Mallard -even though it lasts briefly- because now she can live as an independent individual with rights. The course of the plot creates a conflict in Mrs. Mallard’s struggle to attain freedom even if she ultimately has to die to achieve it. Mrs. Mallard experiences a glimpse of freedom when she is told of her husband’s death. Mrs. Mallard “wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment”. This is quite unusual because usually when women hear of the death of their husbands, they usually do not agree, and keep stating that it is false. However, Mrs. Mallard does not do that, she cries instantly, which seems strange to her sister. Then, when Mrs. Mallard goes to her room and looks out of the window, she sees “the tops of tress that were all aquiver with the new spring life”, suggesting that Mrs. Mallard, as a widow, will attain freedoms that she did not have with her husband. The rising action of the story takes place when Mrs. Mallard is quietly sobbing on her armchair. It is then when something unusual happens, Mrs. Mallard feels that something “subtle and elusive” was coming to her

2 Suri “creeping out of the sky”. It was freedom! Mrs. Mallard didn’t feel that this was “monstrous joy”, but a feeling she wanted to have ever since she married. Mrs. Mallard would not have to depend on anyone now, and she will “own” her life completely. Mrs. Mallard has this thought that “there would be no one to live for… she would live for herself”. Moreover, she thinks of the private will in a marriage as “no less than a crime” because her husband’s will usually undermines Mrs. Mallard’s desire and this supposed right does not sit well with Mrs. Mallard. During the late nineteenth century, women had very limited rights and were mostly identified to be a part of their husbands and not themselves on their own. Although Mrs. Mallard was sad at the demise of her husband, “she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely”. And, even though she loved her husband “sometimes”, often she did not. This is because, Mrs. Mallard felt that possession of self- assertion is more valuable than loving her husband. Mrs. Mallard was so excited that day, that she kept saying the words “free” repeatedly as she was “drinking in a very elixir of life”. Chopin also describes Mrs. Mallard as a “goddess of Victory” as she had the feeling of triumphing, and she was looking forward to the new day with new opportunities. Moreover, this is when “she breathes a quick prayer that life might be long… it was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long”. This is a very interesting line in the story because Mrs. Mallard did not want to live long when her husband was alive, but after his demise, she wanted to live long and do so many things which would give her happiness. As Mrs. Mallard and her sister walk down the stairs, there is a sudden climax, she sees Mr. Mallard is alive, and this is when her heart gives up and she dies. Although, the doctor says that she dies of “joy”, it was actually a huge shock to her to see her husband alive. Chopin creates this clever irony to create a plot twist and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

3 Suri The course of the plot creates a conflict in Mrs. Mallard’s struggle to attain freedom even if she ultimately has to die to achieve it. To conclude, plot plays a very important role in the overall theme of the story because it lays out the foundation on which Mrs. Mallard is known- her heart disease. This story portrays the struggle to give freedom to Mrs. Mallard and even though her freedom lasts for a brief moment (an hour) it is surprising to understand what most women were going through in the late-nineteenth century in terms of them being recognized synonymously with their husband and never as an individual with rights.

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Works Cited Chopin, Kate. “‘The Story of an Hour.” archive.vcu.edu/english/engweb/webtexts/hour/....