Let me start by saying, Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," uses the literary device, irony in a manner that could not be better. When Louise whispers the words “Free! Body and soul free,” it twisted the meaning of the story in an expected way and threw me off as the reader. Instead of seeing a woman who is heart-broken over her husband's death, I see a woman overwhelmed with freedom. In the beginning of the story, she was referred to as Mrs. Mallard but when she realizes she is free Kate Chopin refers to her by her first name. I believe Chopin did that to suggest that marriage represses women. During this time, it is common knowledge that a married woman was considered dependent, like an underage child. For that reason, I can understand
