The Story of an Hour

This story was pretty bizarre. Mrs. Mallard receives the news that her husband has died in a horrible accident. She immediately begins to cry. Of course, people think these are tears of sadness but, they are not. She gets a sense of relief and freedom now that she is alone in the world. She is overjoyed that she gets to live for herself and not worry about her husband. This is pretty odd because she says that she does love him in a way. It must be a really odd kind of love. I think this writing can represent that realism writing style in many ways. The fact that reality exists independently free of observers. Clearly things are going on with Mrs. Mallard when nobody is around her. Alone in her room everyone thinks she is completely devastated while in reality she feels free. "Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own. She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long." (Chopin) She should have been devastated but these are her real feelings. She does not try to convince herself she is sad or that she misses him. She sees it how it really is even though how she feels is most likely considered wrong. Thoreau believed in this idea. She was supposed to be upset and mourning the loss of her dead husband. But, instead she felt herself become happier and had a little celebration alone in her room. She trusted how she was feeling and believed all would be well that is until her "dead" husband came home. He was never killed at all. Mrs. Mallard was so shocked from him walking in the door she immediately died of heart attack. Was it from happiness because she realized she actually loves him? Or did she have this attack because she was so shocked that he was there? Possibly it was just the disappointment and sadness that she was no longer a free, single woman.
Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." PBS. 1894. Web. 23 Feb. 2012.