Question: What does Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour” communicate about how feelings of freedom can influence one’s perspective? Often the feeling of freedom can influence ones perspective on many situations; this influence can often cause feelings or emotions considered wrong by the social norm. In the short story “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin the main character, Louise Mallard proves this. At first she is devastated by the news of her husbands death.
Later on she starts to struggle with her inner emotions, and attempts to sort them out in solitude. Finally she realizes her true perspective on the matter of her husband’s death. Therefore we can conclude that the feeling of a newfound freedom influenced Mrs. Mallard’s perspective. Finally she realizes her true perspective on the matter of her husband’s death. We see this is a gradual realization as in the beginning Mrs. Mallard weeps “with a sudden wild abandonment”, but once in her room she sobs ike a child “continues to sob” in sleep after crying to sleep.
After the realization she would cry at the funeral there is no further thought of tears, telling us Just how happy she is and believes she will be without her husband. With this newfound sense of delight, She prays, “life [will] be long” when only a day before she “shuddered” at the thought. Not only is she happy, but also she is exited and looking forward to her days of independence. There would no longer be a “powerful will bending hers”, Mrs.
Mallard believes as she walks “Like a goddess of victory’, only to fall in defeat at the sight of her husband, alive and well. These extreme circumstances have let Mrs. Mallard have a taste of a feeling otherwise forbidden. This thought like a poison consumed her eventually killing her when Mr. Mallard comes home. Over the course of the hour, the feeing of freedom changed Mrs. Mallard’s outlook on the situation, it caused her to feel the exact opposite of what was expected, showing that even Just the thought of freedom is enough to spark a wildfire.
