Repression In Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour

Kate Chopin’s story, “The Story of an Hour” shows the emotional roller coaster of a grieve stricken women, ‘Mrs. Louise Mallard’ after learning the death of her significant other. The language used throughout the story is very good at conveying the emotions and feelings. Chopin uses such great detail and imagery to express Mrs. Mallard’s process of grieving. Louise is the obvious character of interest; through her character we can see the social repression that possibly all women felt at the time. When Louise is finally hit with reality her view of a long life changes from dread to hope. Chopin uses the quote, “’She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength’” (Chopin). The quotation has an underlying meaning; ‘bespoke repression and a certain strength’. The strength of Louise overcomes the repression felt by the foreshadowing of the happiness she sees through the window of her room. Louise finds out her husband has died in a train wreck; her first reaction is sadness, but then she realizes in a rush of emotions that she is “Free! Body and soul free!” (Chopin). After coming to this realization she views the world in a new outlook—where she’ll be her own person, and only have to answer to herself. Louise recognizes her …show more content…
She is dead. Mrs. Mallard’s heart has stopped, and her life has stopped right before everyone. She had everything she ever wanted but then nothing all at the very same time in that very moment. She had died from heart disease—of joy that kills. The setting of this story is perfect. Louise ascends the staircase of her house to freedom, and everything changes at the top of her stairs. We only can desire what she desires and this is what makes the story so real. We descend the staircase with her and feel what she feels when everything is taken away. She dies only from a joy that kills, irony all the way to the