An Analysis of the Protagonist Character Louise Mallard in Kate Chopin's "The Story of An Hour" Essay

Story Of An Hour The protagonist character Louise Mallard in Kate Chopin's "The Story of AnHour" portrays a wife's unexpected response to her husband's death. Thenarrator divulges to the reader modest but convincing hints of Mrs. Mallardsnewly discovered freedom. This newly discovered freedom would be short lived forMrs. Mallard. Mrs. Mallard, who suffers from heart disease, was portrayed as anaverage wife who breaks down into a fit of distress from the fateful news of herhusband's death. She retreats to her room to come to grips with the tragedybut finds instead something unexpected in herself. The tears and emotions soonturned to confusion as Mrs. Mallard came to realize the reality that she was notnecessarily crying over the loss of her husband but of his death. Mrs. Mallardadmits that Mr. Mallard is a good husband but that she detests the bondage ofbeing husband and wife and she no longer wants the will of another forced uponher. The time of her new found freedom was revealed when she begins to whisper"free" over and over to denote that she is no longer under the will ofanother person. The depth of Louise's bondage known as marriage was more thanshe could stand and she was wishing for a short-lived life just the day beforethe accident. With her husbands death she was wishing for a long life to enjoyher newfound freedom. Mr. Mallard is not the tyrant who holds Louise in thisbondage but instead it was the institution of marriage itself that entraps her.The imagery in the story helps set her characters new found freedom from thetrees "aquiver" with new life denoting her new found life to the cloud'sshadow representing her married life casting shadows on her happiness. Theconflict that Louise Mallard feels is not with her husband or herself but thatof the cultural institution of marriage. This conflict was so profoundlyingrained in Louise that when she discovers that her husband was not dead andshe was not free, death was...

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