Analysis of the Character of Mrs. Mallard in The Story of an Hour, a Short Story by Kate Chopin Essay

Two-Faced Love The sound of the heavy steel scrapping against the rock seemed to drown out the harmonious screams of hundreds of people. The train, now on its side, skid uncontrollably toward the valley cliff. If only the conductor had seen the break in the train line, he may have been able to react in time. Unfortunately, its too late for that now, and in four seconds the three hundred ton train would be launched over the cliff, and fall to its watery grave in the valley below. As Mrs. Mallard received the news of her husbands death the previous visions began to cloud her head. However the true question is, how did Mrs. Mallard feel about her husbands death? In The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin tells the story of how Mrs. Mallard reacts when she hears the news of her husbands death. Mrs. Mallards personality seems to play a dual role. On one side she portrays a loving and caring wife who is heart broken by the news of the death of her husband. On the other hand, she also portrays a woman who, when informed of her husbands death, simply sheds a tear and then fantasizes of her new found freedom which comes with his death. The question is which one of these personalities represents how Mrs. Mallard really feels about the death of her husband? Most wives in her position would go through two main stages initially. Firstly most women undergo denial. When a Woman truly loves her husband, it is very unlikely that she accepts any news of his death without significant evidence even then, she still questions the news. Secondly women tend to go through a long period of depression after they accept the fact that their husband is dead. Mrs. Mallard, on the other hand, displays characteristics contradictory to this theory. Mrs. Mallard is a selfish, greedy and psychologically unstable woman who displays extremely peculiar emotions...