Louise Mallard is happy her husband is dead. Not because she wished him harm, but she longed for the day when her choices would be her own. A person who is repressed should have the right to celebrate they're freedom, even if that freedom is won by the death of another. There are many instances in the story that illustrate what kind of life Louise lived before her husbands supposed death. By understanding those facts, it is easy to understand why any woman who was married during this period in history would be happy with their new found freedom.
Louise starts to unconsciously understand what her husband's death will mean to her own life while she is alone in her room. "There was something coming to her, and she was waiting for it, fearfully." Even though the narrator describes her as "young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression" Louise is afraid of the prospect of a new life even though she is repressed. Before her conscious mind can comprehend the significance of the passing of her husband she says, "free, free, free!" The excitement has built up in her to the point that she is no longer afraid. "The vacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes." Louise is a free woman now. Her unconscious thoughts have given way to her new reality.
With the newfound understanding of her existence, Louise begins to reflect on her marriage, and she starts to understand why she is so excited by her new freedom. "But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely." Louise's husband will not be able to influence her decisions. She will not have to love a man she seldom was in love with. Louise is dreaming of enjoying her days herself without the interference of her husband. She hopes "that life might be long." Even though the day before "she had thought with a shudder that life might be long.