Mid-Term Test: Story Of An Hour

Part A

1. What is Louise Mallard’s opinion of marriage? Indicate the paragraph that suggests it?

Louise Mallard has a relatively low opinion of marriage; in fact, she views it as a type of business arrangement in which women must obey the will of their husbands. In the following quote, the author exposes Mrs. Mallard's feelings about marriage: “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature.”(paragraph 12)

2. Why does Louise Mallard suddenly stop crying? Indicate the place in the text?

The end of Louise Mallard's tears was caused by a sudden realisation; she was free. She didn't have to live her life for anyone but herself anymore. Although she was sad that her husband had died, she no longer had to abide by the binding laws of marriage and obey him, which filled her heart with joy and freedom."Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously. She was beginning to recognize this thing that was approaching to possess her, and she was striving to beat it back with her will--as powerless as her two white slender hands would have been. When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under the breath: "free, free, free!" The vacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body." (paragraph 10)

3. How does she feel about her future as a widow? Cite the line in the text, using just the first few words, then a series of dots …? Her feelings about being a widow are very clear; she feels that she will live a long, happy and free life."Her fancy was running riot along those days (...) breathed a quick prayer that life might be long(...)

5. Why is there so much description of what is outside the window when Louise is alone in her room? I think that the abundant presence of description in this section of the story is a way of demonstrating her new, yet unconscious, taste for life. She seems to be noticing all the tiniest details, like that of someone stepping in to a new place and marveling at it.

Part B

This story is full of ironic situations; however, many don’t seem so at first glance.

The first ironic element that we come across when reading it is, the view from Mrs. Mallard’s window. Kate Chopin, the author, describes everything through the main characters senses and puts to use language that could only be used by someone who is very attentive and whose senses seem to tingle with alertness and life :"She could see (…) the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air.(…) The notes of a distant song which someone was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves.” However, she should be in the devastated state women are in after receiving such news, which is what makes this moment ironic.

When Louise closes herself into her room, her sister and Richards’ worry about her: they think she is grieving and will “make yourself ill”, but in fact she is relishing her newly found freedom. Not unlike the previously presented aspect of the story, Louise is celebrating her long life ahead of her, when all “good” spouses should have been grieving at the loss of their husband. “She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long.” This example shows us that you shouldn’t expect people to follow what the general public usually does, people don’t always care about others the way they seem to and every event that takes part in your life can have a big impact on the way you view life.

Kate Chopin starts off the story with a simple line: “Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death.” She tosses it at the reader as though it is not of great importance, and moves on with the story; however, she ties up the story with a sentence that recalls that first one, “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease--of the joy that kills.” This simple statement gives a whole new significance to irony: in my opinion she did not die from the joy of her husbands return but from the shock and realization that she was losing all her new found freedom and love for life. She could take her husband’s death, but she could not take his return and what it meant she would have to sacrifice.