Personality of Mrs. Mallard in Kate Chopin\'s

¶ … personality of Mrs. Mallard in Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour. The author of this paper discusses the reasons that Mrs. Reacted the way she did and then died. In addition the era is discussed in regards to the way women reacted to bad marriages.

FREE ANY WAY SHE COULD BE

Throughout history, authors have used their works to convey current social mores and ideas. Every now and again, however, an author will stand out for the attempt to break out of the politically correct mold and will write something that may not be socially acceptable in its time but speaks the truth nonetheless. When Kate Chopin penned The Story of an Hour, she did exactly that. The story defies the norm of the era when it came to the way women were expected to feel and behave. It allows for the possibility that all women in that time were not content just to be married and have no sense of self and direction. Chopin used the character of Mrs. Mallard to illustrate what other women may have felt in real life at the time but were conditioned not to say.

Chopin does a great job of setting the scene for the story. The first thing we are introduced to is the fact that Mrs. Mallard is weak and frail because of her heart condition. There are great pains to shield her from the shock. In addition to her medical condition, the era in which the story is set also avails itself to the gentle handling of Mrs. Mallard.

When she receives the news she goes to her room to be alone and it is then that Chopin unveils the true feelings of Mrs. Mallard. She feels free at last. The character responses to her husband's death unveil what may have been common in that time frame. There were societal restrictions when it came to females who wanted lives of their own. And a loveless marriage was still better than no marriage at all.

Mrs. Mallard was a woman ahead of her time. She recognized the need to be free and she recognized that she wanted time to herself. The story is based in her reaction and her reaction goes against what was acceptable in that time. She looks toward the future with affection and eagerness and decides that she will never allow herself to be trapped by marriage again.

The heart attack that kills her when her husband walks through the door is symbolic of what happened to women's dreams back then. They were often suppressed and the dreams died as they accepted the fate society forced upon them. Her death was just like the symbolic deaths that occurred for many women who had hopes and dreams and ambitions but were born generations to early.

The visuals that the story creates go hand in hand with the image the author tries to convey. We are in the room with Mrs. Mallard and we get a picture of the beautiful sky with the blue peeking through. We come to understand the clearing sky and the peeking through symbolize her emerging feelings of freedom. It is like being able to take a deep breath for the first time in a very long time. She works at fighting the urge to be happy but it overtakes her. There were many women in that time who were trapped and unhappy. While they were raised in such a manner as to accept their fate the sudden death of their dear husbands would have set them free as well. This is a situation in which she bore no guilt and was free to enjoy the benefits of what seemed to be a tragic ending.