In The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin opens a door into the mind of the repressed woman. This one sentence shows us the mindset of women during the late 1800’s. “When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room, she would have no one follow her.”(3) Women back were primarily owned by their husbands. They are expected to work in the home, take care of any children the couple had, and continue to do so until she dies. When the man came home, the wife was to tend to every whim of the husband, and they were not permitted to lead personal lives of their own. These were the attitudes present at that time. This repression was disrespectful and dehumanizing to all women. This what Chopin could have intended the reader to perceive about these stories.
Chopin uses the spring setting as a parallel to Mrs. Mallard’s transformation. When it is spring outside, there is a vibrancy. Flowers are in full bloom, and the forests teem with life and radiance. It is also a beautiful thing to witness, and so is the transformation of this woman. Mrs. Mallard once looked through her window, but only to admire and weep for something of which she was longing. Just as quickly as her freedom is given, she feels as if it was stolen back with the sight of her husband, alive and well. She recognizes that she has a long life without freedom ahead. Her heart must have sank.
ard in The Story of an Hour represents the “everyman” of the repressed woman. In the beginning of the story, she is longing for something more. The armchair in which sh
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