"The Story of An Hour" Summary

        Kate Chopin expresses the theme of loss and depression through Mrs. Mallard’s direct reaction to the news of her husband’s death. Upon hearing the news she immediately burst into tears and ran off to her room where she locked herself off from the rest of the world. She would not make contact with anyone. This is what most people think of when they think of loss. They think of pain and suffering and sadness. Mrs. Mallard was grieving her husband’s death just as anyone would and the loss of a loved one upset her greatly. This is the author’s first theme: the way that loss can affect us and make us feel depressed and alone.

        After thinking about what had happened, Mrs. Mallard realized that she had not only lost something, but gained something as well. She had gained her freedom. She was now free to pursue her dreams and become who she had wanted to become. With her husband gone she didn’t have anyone to hold her back and oppress her dreams. She would be able to do whatever she wanted without needing his approval. This was an issue in the time that the story takes place. Back then, women were not allowed to do whatever they pleased. They had to have approval from their husband. This presents the second theme: there can be a resulting positive outcome of a seemingly negative situation.

        In the end, Mrs. Mallard ends up going insane and dies at the shock of seeing her husband who hadn’t actually died. The author showed us how loss can affect us and make us depressed and lonely through Mrs. Mallard’s husband’s death. She also showed that losing something can have a positive outcome through Mrs. Mallard’s realization of her freedom after her husband’s death. As the old saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining.