The Story of an Hour

I have just read "The Story of an Hour" which is about Mrs. Mallard who just hears that her husband has died in an accident. Mr. Mallard had only ever been good to her and loved her but she wanted independence and a free will. At that time, women could not divorce their husbands so she was stuck with him. Sometimes she loved him, but she usually wanted to be alone. I found it funny that she was so happy to hear that he died, and then he showed up alive. Mrs. Mallard was happy to be free again. Her sister was there to see the whole situation play out. Soon after learning that her husband had died, Mrs. Mallard saw him walk through the door. When her husband came home alive and healthy her sister had to cover for her. She was so upset to see him alive that she had a heart attack and died. It was a joy that kills. Mrs Mallard had gotten so excited to finally be free that his arrival shocked her and she fell down and died. During character development, the author described the woman as someone who loved her husband, but only sometimes. She would have much rather lived independently but in that time it was uncommon. I really enjoyed this story because it was so descriptive and had a twisted ending. I definitely recommend The Story of an Hour- a great short story by Kate Chopin.