Story of an Hour

             The Story of an Hour was written by Kate Chopin. "Chopin returns to the issue of marriage and selfhood in her portrayal of Mrs. Mallard, a woman who learns that her husband has died in a train accident." (Katherine 3) Mrs. Louise Mallard's emotional state goes from one end of the spectrum to the other in only an hour. She is upset when she first heard the news but by the time she comes out of her room she has already moved on to acceptance. Even though Louise was saddened by her husband's death she was elated at the thought of her impending freedom.
             Kate Chopin has much in common with the main character, Louise Mallard. Kate and Louise were both living in a time in which women were not given any kind of rights. Women were still expected to submit to their husbands in everyway. They were also expected to be seen and not heard. At this time, "marriage was considered a sacred institution. Divorce was quite rare and if one was to occur, men were automatically given legal control of all property and children." (Hicks 1) "(Kate) grew up in a female dominated environment"( Hicks 3). Many things she did in her life went against the social norms of the time. She wrote many controversial stories. They were controversial because many of them show a woman in role not normally seen and acting in a way that people would not expect a woman to act. After her husband died "Chopin insisted upon assuming his managerial responsibilities" of his business (Katherine 2). These events may have led to Kate's respect for "the individuality, freedom, and joy" that seem to be present not only in her life but also that of her characters.
             The main character is first only known to us as Mrs. Mallard. This may symbolize how she is not known as an individual at this point but only an extension of her husband. We are told that when she is notified of her husband's death "she wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister's arms" (Chopin 1).