SHORT STORY

For August 14, 2015

The Story of an Hour

By Kate Chopin

Characters:

Mrs. Louise Mallard:A young, attractive woman and the wife of Brently Mallard who was reported to be dead. When Louise hears this news, she is secretly happy because she is now free. She is filled with a new lust for life, and although she usually loved her husband, she cherishes her newfound independence even more. She has a heart attack when her husband, alive after all, comes home.

Brently Mallard:Mrs. Mallard's husband and was supposedly killed in a train accident. Brently arrives home unaware that there had been a train accident.

Josephine: Mrs. Mallard's sister. Josephine informs Louise about Brently’s death.

Richards: Friend of Brently Mallard. Richards learns about the train accident and Brently’s death at the newspaper office, and he is there when Josephine tells the news to Louise.

Setting:

The action takes place in a single hour .

Plot:

Introduction

Mrs. Mallard has a weak heart and so he was given a great care as gently as possible.

Conflict

Mr. Mallard dies and Mrs. Mallard's friends have to break the news to her gently. And so they need to take special care in letting her know what happened so that she doesn't die also.

Climax

Mrs. Mallard declares that she is free.

Mrs. Mallard struggles with her grief, and then also struggles with a piece of new knowledge coming at her. She tries to avoid it, but can't completely push it off. Finally, she succumbs to the realization that she is free, and that she's glad. After the tragedy of hearing such bad news, and managing such changing emotions of grief and abandonment, Mrs. Mallard is so overwhelmed by her feeling of freedom that she can barely whisper.

Falling action

Mrs. Mallard comes out of her room, meets her sister, and starts to go down the stairs. She floats out of her room on the crest of victory, feeling like she's conquered her sadness, and her new desire for freedom. She sweeps out of her room like a new person, stronger for her grief, and excited about her life ahead.

Denouement

Mr. Mallard walks in, far from dead, shocking everyone. Mr. Mallard comes home. Everyone's shocked, except Mr. Mallard, who has no idea of what's been going on. Even though Josephine and Richards are surprised too, they try to keep Mrs. Mallard from receiving the shock.

Conclusion

Doctors say Mrs. Mallard died of joy.

Point of view

The story uses the third person (Omniscient) point of view.

Theme:

Women before had no rights to choose their lives.

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