Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour" is a sad tale of a woman trying to escape her future. The ironic story of Louise Mallard is hard to understand without understanding the relationship with her husband, Brently Mallard. The Mallards were a typical couple of that time, loving and repressive. .
Brently and Louise was a typical couple that loved each other. This wasn't your typical nineties marriage. Chopin wrote a great story where each word is deep in meaning. The reader realizes that this isn't a contemporary story by the way the first paragraph is written. The telegraph and the railroad are the evidence of this being none contemporary story. The next thing a reader observes is the way Chopin introduces the characters, for example Mrs. Mallard is called by her husband's last name meanwhile her husband is called by his full name. .
Mrs. Mallard is a typical house wife. It seems that she has grown accustomed to her husband and stayed with him because of the tradition and comfort her society has created. As the story opens, the reader finds out that Mr. Mallard has been killed in an accident. This news is delivered to his wife, who has a medical heart condition, very carefully by her sister Josephine and than verified by Richard, a friend of Brantley's. .
At first, Louise was shocked by the news. She realized that her husband was gone. A person she relied on and lived with for a long time. The reader realizes that Louise lives in a man's world and she is repressed in her relationship. But Louise has become accustomed to the life style she had. Even though Louise was a plain house wife, its obvious Brently Mallard was well off. Brently and Louise lived in a two story house and had comfortable furniture. Louise was used to the comfortable life and that is why she remained with her husband. .
Louis's relationship with Brently wasn't bad. It was evidence that Brently has not abused Louise nor has he treated her badly.
