"The Story of an Hour"

I think this story is a tale of personal freedom. Louise Mallard was extremely unhappy and felt trapped in her life and marriage. She felt suppressed by her husband and his demands, “There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose..” Her husband’s death was a relief and allowed her to dream of her future without regard for anyone else.

When Louise looks out the window she describes a vivid outdoor scene of springtime with blue skies and blooming trees. I think this is symbolic of the rebirth she feels by her husband’s death. Spring is a time for growth and a rebirth in nature which parallels Louise’s personal feelings of starting a new life. “She saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely,” she feels like she can start a new life of freedom with endless possibilities.

Mrs. Mallard handles the grief of her husband’s death completely different that Shaila Bhave. Shaila is very unemotional at first and is very hesitant to accept the thought of her loved ones deaths. She is almost paralyzed by her grief and even tells herself that her boys were good swimmers and that there is a possibility of their survival, never giving up hope. Shaila also feels that her life is incomplete without her family. On the other hand Mrs. Mallard has an immediate emotional response to the death of her husband and an instant acceptance of his death. She immediately cries and doesn’t question anyone as to whether her husband could have potentially survived. Also, instead of feeling as though she lost something in her life Mrs. Mallard feels like she gained freedom which was so much more important to her. Mrs. Mallard’s story was told in third person perspective while Shaila’s was told in first and that impacted the emotional range each story had. Mrs. Mallard’s story was more limited in her personal thoughts and gave us more of a brief overview rather than descriptive tale of coming to terms with grief.