Kate Chopin uses irony in several different ways, and these methods can be seen as literary links between her stories, "Desiree's Baby" and "The Story of an Hour." because each gives an emotional shock to the reader, which also helps link the theme of women facing depression through appearance versus reality. Both of these stories show the main characters, Mrs. Mallard and Desiree, facing ironic, tragic deaths in the end. These women faced depression because of their relationships having stolen a piece of who they are.
In "Desiree's Baby" and "The Story of an Hour" both of the main characters have huge similarities in their marriages. As each woman enters into a stage of depression due to their husband, both women realize that the will of their husband may have bent their own. Mrs. Mallard's depression starts because of her husband's death, whereas Desiree's begins because of the loss of her husband's love. Mrs. Mallard's depression begins to lift as she realizes she has been freed from the burden of her marriage. Desiree takes a different route in dealing with her depression as she turns from her husband, never to be seen again.
"The Story of an Hour" has a considerable amount of irony, which began after Mrs. Mallard was told of her husband Brently's death. The first sign of irony arrives while Mrs. Mallard is sitting in a comfortable chair in her bedroom. As she looks out the window, she notices "the tops of trees that were all aquiver with new spring life." ( 236) Something inside of her begins to change and she reveals to herself that she now has a new life. .
Mrs. Mallard begins to realize that "she would live for herself." (237) As she accepts the thought of a new, free life and as she descends the stairs with her sister, someone begins to open the door. Richards "had only taken the time to assure himself of its truth by a second telegram" (236) which became ironic because the person opening the door is Brently himself.
