In a time where women were no more than housewives, Kate Chopin writes of a 19th century woman who discovers a freedom so few women of her time have. This lady is Louise Mallard, who learns suddenly, but gently because her heart disease, of her husband’s death in “The Story of an Hour.” Even though Mrs. Mallard loves her husband, she welcomes the new change in her life, represented by the open window she gazes out of, which is a symbol for her newly found identity as an independent woman of the 19th century. Chopin uses the theme of love to push her story, but the Mallard’s relationship is very complicated in terms of what kind of love they share. After hearing of her husband’s death Mrs. Mallard, “. . . wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment
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Mallard. After Mrs. Mallard finishes grieving with her sister, she goes to her room alone and looks out her window. The scene she observes depicts her exact reaction to her upcoming sovereign life after looking through the open window, which alone is a common symbol for change. She begins by noting a sky filled with clouds with a few patches of clear, blue skies peeking through; the clouds represent her life as a wife, sad and gloomy, while the blue skies represent her life as a widow, clear and free, and the fact that she can only barely see the blue skies shows that she will not completely see the freedom that lies before her. Then she sees the trees growing, a symbol of new beginnings, which signifies Mrs. Mallard noticing the new life she has. She continues to observe the scene below and notes a, “. . . delicious breath of rain . . . ,” (Chopin). Rain is usually seen representing sadness, but here the rain is described more positively which can be seen as washing away Mrs. Mallard’s old life to make way for the new changes in her life. She hears a peddler advertising his goods, similar to her new, free life that her attention is drawn to. Finally, Mrs. Mallard hears singing of people and birds, which represents the ecstatic joy she feels after coming to terms with the changes happening around
Mallard. After Mrs. Mallard finishes grieving with her sister, she goes to her room alone and looks out her window. The scene she observes depicts her exact reaction to her upcoming sovereign life after looking through the open window, which alone is a common symbol for change. She begins by noting a sky filled with clouds with a few patches of clear, blue skies peeking through; the clouds represent her life as a wife, sad and gloomy, while the blue skies represent her life as a widow, clear and free, and the fact that she can only barely see the blue skies shows that she will not completely see the freedom that lies before her. Then she sees the trees growing, a symbol of new beginnings, which signifies Mrs. Mallard noticing the new life she has. She continues to observe the scene below and notes a, “. . . delicious breath of rain . . . ,” (Chopin). Rain is usually seen representing sadness, but here the rain is described more positively which can be seen as washing away Mrs. Mallard’s old life to make way for the new changes in her life. She hears a peddler advertising his goods, similar to her new, free life that her attention is drawn to. Finally, Mrs. Mallard hears singing of people and birds, which represents the ecstatic joy she feels after coming to terms with the changes happening around