The shackles that people are forced to bear due to societal standards and prejudices might seem unnoticeable at times. However, as soon as the state of actual freedom is offered, one will never be unable to ignore societal injustice and constraints, as “The Story of an Hour,” a short story by Kate Chopin, demonstrates. “The Story of an Hour” features only a handful of characters and depicts an hour in the life of a woman who is mistakenly told that her husband is dead. As the protagonist learns that she was misinformed and her husband is alive, she dies, which is interpreted unanimously as dying of happiness. By portraying the sudden and quite unexpected death of the protagonist, Chopin metaphorically depicts the death of freedom, thus mourning the slack of personal choice in women’s lives.
The main themes of freedom – or, to be more specific, the lack thereof – and the associated feelings of depression and hopelessness are quite prominent in the story. However, the manner in which Chopin addresses them is quite unique. Specifically, the narrator demonstrates the desperate state in which the protagonist used to be when her husband was alive by depicting the beauty of the world that is revealed to her as the husband dies: “There was a feverish triumph in her eyes, and she carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory” (Chopin). The quote in question illustrates Louise’s sudden recognition of the beauty of self-love that used to be concealed from her before.
However, the specified realization comes not only with cautious delight but also with undeniable bitterness. Louise evidently recognizes the tremendous loss that she has suffered, having been missing out on the experience of taking care of herself and being self-sufficient: “There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it?” (Chopin). Therefore, the triumph that she experiences is also saddened by the recognition of the deplorable state of her rights as a woman, as well as the perception of women in society.
Therefore, when reality comes crashing down on Louise and she realizes that her husband is, in fact, alive, her immediate death, which might seem comical and even farcical at first, transforms into a much more tragic occurrence. Namely, Louise’s death symbolizes the death of hope for some semblance of autonomy and personal space, as well as the opportunity for self-growth and independence: “There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds” (Chopin). Therefore, Chopin’s portrayal of Louise’s death serves as a tragic symbol of losing hope for female autonomy and independence (Khadafi 142). Furthermore, her death is emblematic of the repression of emotions that she has been experiencing, namely, the lack of freedom that she has felt until her husband’s death: “she was striving to beat it back with her will — as powerless as her two white slender hands would have been” (Chopin). Ultimately, her death represents the experience of ultimate despair and the understanding of the inability to return to her everyday life of repressed feelings once having had the taste of freedom.
What makes the ending all the more powerful and the story itself so remarkable is that the specified denouement represents the result of a gradual discovery. At the beginning of the story, when being presented with the news about her husband’s alleged death, Mrs. Mallard, the protagonist, is understandably upset and even devastated. Her utter despair at the news of her husband’s demise marks the beginning of her journey and the start of her development. At first, she is completely unaware of the extent of freedom of which she has been deprived throughout her entire life, which is why her discovery is gradual and natural: “Into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul” (Chopin). Thus, she carefully and cautiously learns about the opportunities that she can pursue without the weight of her husband’s power over her. As a result, while still grieving, she embraces the possibilities that she can encompass now that she is alone.
The symbolic nature of Mrs. Mallard’s death is emphasized by the obvious differences in her perception of the world around her. Specifically, as she receives the tragic news, the world around her remains so bleak that changes in it barely even register for her: “When the storm of grief had spent itself, she went away to her room alone. She would have no one follow her” (Chopin). Moreover, she immediately leaps to the comfort of her cozy armchair, thus seeking to find solace in the items and environment that are familiar to her. However, as she tries to digest the tragedy and accept it, she starts exploring the world around her and finds the experience fascinatingly refreshing: “She said it over and over under her breath: ‘free, free, free!’” (Chopin). The described discovery sets the tone for the further development of the story and allows for its ending to be defined as a symbol of hopelessness and heartbreak.
The abrupt and rather unexpected end to Louise’s life represents not only the death of the main protagonist but also the metaphoric death of hopes for her and, by extension, women, in general, to receive some semblance of personal freedom. The story represents a somber reflection on the state of women’s rights and the extent of women’s freedoms, as well as the lack of societal understanding of the deeply-seated dissatisfaction with the status quo among women. Therefore, the abrupt and sudden ending, while being slightly confusing, represents a cry for help for women of the specified time period.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” Owleyes.org, 1895, Web.
Khadafi, Bima Iqbal. “Feminist and Pessimist Existentialism in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”: A Systemic Functional Grammar Analysis.” Journal of English Language Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2021, pp. 138-157.