Introduction
The short story titled 'The Story of an Hour' is authored by Kate Chopin. The Story was written in 1894 when the society was significantly different than it is now in various aspects. The story falls under the genre of a short narrative. The story narrates the final moments of Mrs. Mallard, who has a heart ailment. Due to her condition, her family and friends prefer to provide information to her gradually to avoid shocking her, which could worsen her illness. Her sister receives the news of a train accident whereby among the people who perished is Mr. Mallard, her husband. After gradually letting her on the news, Mrs. Mallard is distraught with grief. She locks herself in a room, and as she processed the news, she finds relief in the fact that now she is an independent woman. She prays for a longer life. Soon after she leaves the room alongside her sister, her husband opens the door. It turns out the news of his death was erroneous. Mrs. Mallard dies of what doctors term as joy. The story was a recommendation from a friend. The story illustrates how the unexpected could shift one’s life for the better.
Mrs. Mallard had learned to live with her husband, who bent her will to his liking. In the nineteenth century, women were a lot less free than they are today. From the story, Mrs. Mallard was at home while her husband was away working. She heavily relied on her husband for her livelihood. Therefore, the news of his passing was difficult to accept. She struggled to grasp the news as she received it “…with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance (Chopin 2018)." At first, she could not perceive any positive aspect of the news. She was too held up by the past that it was difficult to imagine a future alone.
After a moment of processing the news, she accepted her fate and inadvertently realized that she would be free from the shackles of a marriage which suppressed her liberty. She was young and strong, yet her face had lines that were evidence of resistance to repression. After living with her husband, autonomy and freedom were foreign concepts to her. After receiving the news of his passing, it wasn't very easy to accept that she was free. “She did not know; it was too subtle and elusive to name (Chopin 2018)." The story illustrates the concept of what we don’t know we are missing because we have never experienced it. After living under certain constraints, it is difficult to conceive a life without such limitations. Therefore, oppression thrives through the perpetration of ignorance.
Mrs. Mallard was in an unhappy marriage. She “had loved him--sometimes. Often she had not” (Chopin 2018). Despite her situation, it was challenging to come to terms with the fact that her happiness could only come from her husband's death. She, however, welcomed the news as her emancipation. She could now live free from undue coercion and influence. At the time of the story's writing, thoughts of women free from marriage bonds were conceived as immoral. Today, some actions are not encouraged that will be considered appropriate in the future.
Conclusion
Often, an individual lives in a comfort zone without any ambition to leave the zone. This is reinforced by the fact that they know no better. When life’s circumstances change into an unknown state, it is difficult to accept the new reality despite the fact that it brings better tidings.
