Horrible Happiness

Horrible Happiness

Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" describes to us a story of great irony. In the beginning of the story, I pictured an older woman who is saddened by the news of her husband's death. However, as soon as I read the words, "Free! Body and soul free!" I become aware of the fact that her feelings may have drifted from sorrow to happiness. I detected that Louise now viewed the world with a different outlook, one where she would be her own person. She no longer had to feel restrained and be called just a "wife". With the news of her husband's death, Louise had finally felt a sign of relief and she was no longer a prisoner of her husband.

The fact that Louise is experiencing joy over the death of another human being, gave me the idea that she may have been mistreated in the relationship she was once in. Thus, letting me interpret that Mr. Mallard's death may have occurred for the best. Now, this apparent death brought her new life. However, this new life would only last an hour, the hour she took to envision herself in "summer days".

After an hour of experiencing pure happiness and enlightenment, Louise's new life is cut short. Right when Brently Mallard, her husband, walked through the door, it had come to an end. It was explained earlier that Mrs. Mallard had a weak heart and that was exactly what came into play at the sight of her husbands return. Everyone believed that she died of heart disease from the "joy" of Mr. Mallard's return. However, her death was caused by the sight of her husband being alive and how she realized her "new spring life" would never occur.