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How Does Mr. Mallard Change

Decent Essays

In “The Story of an Hour”, Kate Chopin demonstrates her ability to show characters’ drastic changes in personality and mentality through their way of thinking. Chopin’s protaggonist, Mrs. Mallard is suffering from the news of Mr. Mallard’s death, but her feelings are changing throughout the story. Mrs. Mallard is a feeble wife, who undergoes the grief of her husband’s death, finds relief and freedom, and for that she becomes a strong and independent woman.
The story greets it’s readers with Mrs. Mallard’s fragility. She is described to have a heart problem, so Josephine had to gently informed her sister of Mr. Mallard’s death (476). Chopin’s words indicates that Mrs. Mallard’s well-being is in a bad condition, not only her health but her personality is also fragile. The idea is further enhanced by Chopin’s statement, “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” (477). These words suggest Mrs. Mallard to be the passive in her relationship with Mr. Mallard.
Because of her husband’s repression in their relationship as mentioned in the above statement, Mrs. Mallard does not receive the news of Mr. Mallard’s death as she should be. Her reaction to the news is observed …show more content…

Mallard drastically changes from a timid wife to a strong and independent woman, and for this, she is full of joy. Through the open window, Mrs. Mallard is enjoying an elixir of life (477). She fancies living the days ahead so much that she wants it to be longer, although it was just yesterday that she afraid it would be too long (477). Mrs. Mallard is over-whelmed with joy thinking about the new life, the life in which she has the control over her own doings, the life in which she is free to follow her will. She is confident that her life is going to be better this way. Once a timid housewife, now she has changed for the better; now she is a strong and independent

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