In Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour” the story takes a unexpected and ironic turn. Through the story Chopin’s characterizes the main character, Mrs. Mallard, to justify the unexpected and ironic twist and turns she has in her story. Chopin’s makes several references in indirect comments that justifies these events.
In the opening sentence Chopin’s says that “ Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.” This is the readers first glimpse of the unexpected events that are to come. This also sets the reader up to believe that she will not be able to handle the news of her husbands death, and characterize her as weak person. As we continue, we find that Mrs. Mallard does what we expect, “She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment.” further pushing the reader to believe in her weakness. As we continue she finally calms down and heads for her room where the reader believe see will morn by herself as most people do when a loved one dies. Soon as the reader find Mrs. Mallard sitting in her chair, she start to fell a strange felling that we believe is her weakness that the reader was expecting. Yet this is where everything starts to take unexpected turn.
“She said it over and over under her breath: Free, free, free!” This is when the reader realize that Mrs. Mallard was not weak. In fact the reader might say she hoped for his death. The reader now sees Mrs. Mallard marriage has not been good. Now that her husband was dead she was “Free”. She dose not stop to think why she is happy, but enjoys her freedom. With this unexpected twist the reader sees Chopin’s character in a new light, and Chopin‘s characterizes Mrs. Mallard as something unexpected. Mrs. Mallard was a strong character, not weak. The reader soon learns about Mrs. Mallard marriage through her thoughts. She said “There would be no powerful will bending her in that blind persistence...