Story Of An Hour Literary Analysis

“The Story of an Hour” opens with a woman named Mrs. Mallard who suffers from a heart problem so she is forced to have any overwhelming news sugarcoated for her so she will not pass away. The story ultimately played out the way it did because of the time period in which it took place and the society in which they lived. Mrs. Mallard’s sister made sure to be very cautious in delivering the news of her sister’s husband’s death. Mrs. Mallard was overcome with grief, and locked herself in her room. Although this fit of sadness was short lived, she soon came to the realization that through her husband's death she had at last found freedom. During this time, women were subjected to essentially being totally dependent on men. They had to live under male rule, and had little to no say in any decisions regarding their lives. In this time period, women who rebelled against their husbands were often beaten, verbally abused, or emotionally abused. Although Mrs. Mallard did possess a deep love for her husband and knew she would miss him, her hunger for freedom outweighed this tragedy.
However, this newfound freedom does not last very long. As Mrs. Mallard finally makes the departure from her bedroom and heads down the stairs, her …show more content…
Mallard finds out her husband is dead from her husband’s friend, Richards. He was in a newsroom when a telegram was sent telling of Mr. Mallard’s supposed death. The quality of technology in the 1800s was not as accurate as it is now. “Teletypewriter messages lack the personal touch that telephone communication allows.” This lack of instant communication means that it is very easy to make mistakes when transmitting information. A perfect example of this was that Mr. Mallard was not actually dead, but the person that was transmitting the message through the telegram made a mistake and it afflicted Mrs. Mallard greatly. Some could even argue that this mistake ultimately causes Mrs. Mallard’s