Kate Chopin's the Story of an Hour

In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," the setting is the year

1894. In this era regardless of love, it was important for women to marry and to have a family. Yet in this story, the character, Mrs. Mallard is more of a free spirit than most women of her time, even though she follows the laws of this society. After Mrs. Mallard hears the news of her husband's death, she retreats to her sanctuary, her bedroom, and takes a moment to grieve. The season of spring, a season of new life and new beginnings, as represented in "The Story of an Hour," is parallel to Mrs. Mallard's insights and behavior to her husband's recent death. As a result, this parallelism leads Mrs. Mallard to an epiphany: like that of springtime, there is a new beginning and a new life awaiting her.

To further this point, after the initial shock of her husband's death, Mrs. Mallard enters a stage of profound and sincere grief. Alone in her bedroom, Mrs. Mallard sinks into her roomy armchair, pressed down by physical exhaustion (14). Chopin writes that the physical exhaustion takes hold of Mrs. Mallard's body to the point that it reaches into her soul. The news of her husband's death affects Mrs. Mallard with such pain and sorrow that it is apparent because she sits motionlessly gazing out the window not knowing what to do next she is so overtaken with grief. The only time that Mrs. Mallard is not motionless is when "a sob came up into her throat and shook her as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams" (14). To grieve after a loved one's death is natural; however, Mrs. Mallard seems to grieve not only for

her husband, but also grieves for herself. Even after the death of her husband, Mrs. Mallard's life seems confined and restricted.

Moreover, Mrs. Mallard's grief for the loss of her husband plus the elements of spring outside the open window, leads her to an epiphany, an epiphany that her life may possibly be starting a new. As Mrs. Mallard sits in her chair gazing out her open window: "she sees the tops of the trees budding with new spring life. She also smells the breath of fresh rain and hears the song of someone singing and the twittering of sparrows nearby" (14). With springtime comes new life and new beginnings and the knowing that something is changing, but has uncertainties of what these changes are and through the blue patches in the sky, she feels the calling (14). Mrs. Mallard tries to fight it off more so out of fear, but loses the battle. Furthermore, as subtle as the calling is, it is quick to embrace Mrs. Mallard with an overwhelming power upon which she opens her body, soul, and arms to welcome them. Consequently, Mrs. Mallard realizes that like the springtime, there is new life all around her and hers may be a new beginning as well.

Additionally, with this newfound joy and enlightenment, Mrs. Mallard tries to justify