The Story of an Hour

—Kate Chopin

SHORT ANSWER TYPE

1. Comment 'The Story of an Hour' as a feminist writing.

In most of the feminist writings, there is a protest against patriarchal system in which women are deliberately
subordinated to men. Here woman rebels against exploitation and suppression and asserts her right to
freedom, equality and individuality.
‘The Story of an Hour' gives enough clues to the fact that Mrs Mallard is a victim of the male dominated
society. She feels oppressed, stiffled and miserable about her married life. That is why, when the news of the
death of her husband comes, she sheds tears in her sister's arms as per the norms of the society. She goes
back to her room where she experiences something she has never imagined. It is the sensation of being free
from the clutches of her husband.
When she thinks of her future life, she gets excited about her new life without her husband. She breathes a
quick prayer that life may be long. She knows that she will weep on seeing her husband's dead face - "the
face that had never looked save with love upon her." The new life, without him, would be such in which she
would live only for herself.
This type of vision clearly shows that she has been unhappy about her married life. Her vision of free life
without an oppressing husband expresses her desires of freedom. In such way Kate Chopin has portrayed the
inner thought of a woman and supported her rights. Thus we can say that this story represents the group of
feminist writing.

2. Sitting in the comfortable roomy chair, Mrs Mallard faces the window. What does she see outside the
window? What is its symbolic significance ?
OR
Mrs Mallard looks out of the window to discover a new spring of life. Describe the significance of what she
sees and hears from out of the window.

Mrs Mallard is grieved and shocked to hear about the death of her husband. The news leaves her shattered
and she "wept at once..." in her sister's arms. Then she retires to her room to be left alone for some time,
perhaps to think about her situation after her husband's death.
In her room, she sinks into the comfortable roomy chair. In front of her is the open window. She looks out
and observes the beginning of spring. She notices the trees, and smells the delicious breath of rain and hears
"notes of a distant song sung nearby" and countless sparrows twittering in the eaves. In the street below
peddlers move about selling their wares. Their cries can easily be heard.
All this is highly symbolic. Kate Chopin has tried to reflect Mrs Mallard's state of mind through the imagery
of these objects of nature. The trees which are enjoying new spring, symbolize the feeling of a new life, one
of complete freedom of body and soul. The delicious breath of rain, the twittering of sparrows symbolize Mrs

© ABHINANDAN GHOSH
Mallard's imaginings how she will live happily for herself, free to follow her own will and live her life on her
own terms and conditions after the death of her husband.

3. Mrs Mallard died out of the "joy that kills". How?

OR
What according to you led to Mrs. Mallard's death? Give reasons to support your answer.

In the short story ‘The Story of an Hour' ,the lady's response to her husband's death is quite contrary to what
the readers of contemporary times would expect. She feels free from the shackles of her marriage and society
after the death of her husband. Her response to her newly found freedom is full of hope. She desires to live
a life truly for herself. She is excited with the opportunity that has been thrown before her, joyfully looking
forward to a life where she could exercise her own will. This duality of response evokes a sense of conflict
within her.
The story progresses to reveal to the readers that her husband is alive and unhurt. But unfortunately, she
does not survive as the doctor proclaims that she died out of the "joy that kills." People around her believe
that she was too overjoyed to see her husband alive and unhurt and died out of the shock from joy. However,
in reality, Chopin has used dramatic irony to provide the readers with a shock that was definitely unexpected.
The lady does not die out of joy on seeing her husband, but she dies out of shock and disbelief to find her
hopes of new life shattered. The pure joy that she had found in her freedom evaporated within seconds and
gave her a shock that resulted in her untimely death.

4. "There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it fearfully." What was it that was coming
to her? Why was she waiting for it fearfully?

When Mrs Mallard was alone in her room, sitting in a comfy chair, she felt depleted. Quite absent-mindely,
suddenly, she realized that an unknown feeling or knowledge was approaching her. It was completely a new
and powerful thought. It was the feeling of freedom! She tried to resist this new knowledge as it somehow
didn’t belong to the so-called society. As it was a fresh feeling— as fresh as the new spring, she felt a kind of
excitement about the chance to make her own decisions and not feel accountable to anyone. She felt even
more swept by the idea of freedom than the fact that she had sometimes felt love for her husband. She
focused on only one thing, how liberated she would feel. She would enjoy complete freedom of body and
soul. She began to imagine those years when she will live for herself and will not feel accountable to anyone.
Mrs Mallard was waiting for this feeling of freedom fearfully because she was clearly aware of the fact that
she would get the freedom as an outcome of her husband's death. As in such tough time the charming
thought arrived within her, she became puzzled and fearful and received it with a great doubt.

5. Do you think the ending of the story is meaningful and justified. Discuss.
The Story of an Hour' is a very meaningful story. Events take place so quickly that one simply wonders at the
turns and twists. Mrs Mallard, a heart patient is told gently the news of her husband's death. Her reaction is
instant. She weeps bitterly in her sister's arms. Then the goes to her room.
When she is alone in her room a feeling of freedom seizes her. She is excited about freedom of her body and
soul. She is internally happy as now she is totally free from the bondage of her marriage life. But her vision
© ABHINANDAN GHOSH
of a happy future gets shattered when she rediscovers that her husband is still alive! She is shocked and this
shock is too much for her. She dies instantly.
Though the ending of the story is a bit melodramatic yet it seems to be quite satisfying. It clearly underlines
the importance of time in our life. In less than an hour Mrs Mallard has an idea of a whole different future,
different from her 'unhappy' past with her husband. Her excitement about her free life is justified if we take
into consideration various cues in the text about her unhappy married life. Her dream gets shattered and the
blow proves to be too much. Her weak heart sinks not out of 'joy' on seeing the face of her 'dead' husband
but out of her sudden realization of the death of her dream. Thus, the ending of the story is meaningful and
justified and obviously is quite appropriate in the context.

LONG ANSWER TYPE

1. Discuss the appropriateness of the title of Kate Chopin short story 'The story of an Hour'.

At the beginning of the story, Mrs. Mallard is given the news that her husband is dead in a railroad accident.
At this news Louise Mallard cried "at once, with sudden, wild abandonment". When she was alone in her
room, she thought about her life without her husband. She realised that there was something coming to her
and she was waiting for it, fearfully ".
On recognising it, she tried to suppress the feeling as she was bound to the social norms. But the feeling was
so strong that it could not be suppressed by her powerless will. She said it over and over under her breath: "
free, free, free!" She thought about the new life, free from the domination of her controlling husband. She
recognised her identity and self assertion, she became "Louise" a woman aware of her own desires, from the
confines of marriage. There would be no one who will bend her will and impose his " private will" upon her.
This fact enlighten her inner self.
This possession of self assertion transformed her into a new woman full of life and confidence. The force was
such a strong force that when she realised that her husband was alive, she immediately collapsed. Louise
actually could not bear to abandon her new found freedom and return to life with her husband, where she
would be required to bend her will to his.
The title of the story 'The story of an Hour' is appropriate and significant as it reveals the life changing events
of Mrs. Mallard's life that took place in just one hour. Chopin explores the entire range of Mrs. Mallard
emotions, anxieties and feelings and psyche from the moment she hears of her husband's death to his
eventual reappearance.
It is the story of the hour following the news of her husband's death, that Mrs. Mallard revealed her lost
freedom, self assertion and her own self. Within this one hour, she felt what she has never felt before. This
particular one hour gives her what she always yearned for - freedom. Those specific sixty minutes
transformed her from a weak woman to a strong woman who has her own will and control over her life. This
extended her vision of her life.

© ABHINANDAN GHOSH
2. It is true that sometimes drastic changes occur in our life in a short span of time, and our life is changed
completely. Do you agree? Discuss with reference to the story entitled 'The Story of an Hour'.
There is no doubt that time plays an important role in our life. Sometimes we experience so much in a brief
span of time that we have never experienced before. Some events or remarks can change our life drastically
once and for all.
The events that take place in ‘The Story of an Hour' cover a short span of only one hour. Focuses on the
supposed death of Mr Mallard and its effect on Mrs Mallard's life, and shows that in an hour, life can change
drastically and a person can change dramatically.
Mrs Mallard's husband has not actually died in the train accident. When the news of his death reaches her,
she weeps at once with sudden wild abandonment in her sister's arms. But the moment the storm of grief
has spent itself she goes away to her room. She would have no one follow her. She locks herself in. She moves
rapidly through her grief and arrives at a 'dream'. It is what her life by herself will be. She feels that now,
there would be no one to command her during those coming years. She would live for herself. Acknowledging
that she is now free, fully liberated, she doesn't consider whether she should feel bad about it. She continues
in her state of strange happiness to muse:
"Free body and soul free!"
In less than an hour, Mrs Mallard gets used to the idea of a completely different future. There is a drastic
change in her life and she is excited about it. She breathes a quick prayer that life may be long. Only yesterday
she had thought with a shudder that 'life might be long. But nothing is constant in life, not even a dream of
happiness. The work of a few seconds changes the life dramatically. Mr Mallard, the 'dead' husband returns
and seeing him alive Mrs Mallard is unable to bear the shock. She dies, because of too much joy-of joy that
kills. When the doctors come they say she has died of heart failure. This dramatic change blows up Mrs
Mallard's dream of a possible future freedom.
Thus, in a brief span of an hour, two important events take place on the physical plane and one on the mental,
and the three are inter- connected and affect the whole course of the life of Mrs Mallard.

---------------

© ABHINANDAN GHOSH