Story of a "life" lived in an hour

Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour" is one of those short fictions which serves you a very simple appetizer, a little delicate main course and an absolutely fancy and sophisticated dessert. as you start reading, the husband of a woman, addressed as Mrs. Mallard in the story, dies. Her surroundings are worrying how to give her such a news. She is a patient of a heart disease, how will she take this news. And happens so. She hears the news, she cries out loud like mad. This was your appetizer. Lets get to the delicacy of main course. She gets up, walks away, locks herself in her room; the story takes a whole new turn. She starts feeling like she has a burden off her head, she keeps enchanting "Free! Free!". Totally opposite of what she reacted few moments before when she was in front of other people. Hold tight, its just getting interesting. Not only she feels free, she feels guilty for feeling free. What is that about?
 
I think, Chopin's very effortlessly painted here how the dependency of women on men has been established in the society in a way that it becomes a burden to the women. The fiction was written in 1800s, when most women married for financial stability only and remaining in that marriage without love. this is what happened with Mrs. Mallard. She was unhappy in this marriage, therefore, felt free after his husband's death. Easy much? NO. The main catch of the story for me is in understanding the difference of reaction between immediately after hearing the news and locking herself in the room. the first reaction: Repenting. Although she was unhappy in the marriage, she cried out loud in front of her sister and her father's friend. Not that it was fake. But it was impromptu. It was the result of how society mechanized her that she should react this way when her beloved husband dies. When she walk in her room; no one is there, its like her own world. She starts realizing her genuine feelings. the FREEDOM. However, she is still the product of the society. She doesn't feel good that she is feeling this way, she keeps reminding herself of her husband who showed very little affection to her. As a reader, and a female reader, I started feeling uncomfortable at this point. The narration of her guilt kind of seemed liked is being passed on me. There is a description of her enjoying the freedom, right after that her feeling guilty. It made me suffocated for a moment while reading. However, she embraced herself with her genuine feeling at the end and walk out of the room as a triumph. That's when I started breathing again. 

The ending, however, is ironically funny. Turns out, her husband actually didn't die. While everyone was worried that she would die hearing the news of the death of his husband, she actually dies when she saw her husband is alive. Now, you as a reader know why she may have died. But Oh! The society! They claimed, she dies for the overjoy after seeing his husband alive. I am sorry Mrs. Mallard. They only see what they want to see. 

Overall, A very fearless writing from Kate Chopins. A very effortless portray of the mainstream patriarchy of our society. Numerous thoughts injected in about 1000 words only. A masterpiece for sure.  


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