The Story of an Hour Summary

The Story of an Hour Summary

The Story of an Hour Summary by Kate Chopin

Setting

The story of an hour is set in the mallard residence, the home of Brently and Louise mallard, in the late nineteenth century.

Main characters.

Louise mallard- she is a woman whose husband is reportedly killed in a train accident. Louise is secretly happy upon hearing the news because she is now free.

Brently Mallard- he is Louise’s husband who is supposedly killed in a train accident.

Josephine- she is Louise’s sister. Josephine informs Louise about the death of Brently.

Richards- he is Brently’s friend who learns about the train accident and Brently’s death at the newspaper office.

Plot Summary

Mrs. Louise Mallard is at home when her sister, Josephine, and her husband’s friend, Richards, come to tell her that her husband, Brently Mallard, has been killed in a train accident. Richards was at the newspaper office when the news broke, and he takes Josephine with him to break the news to Louise since they are afraid it will worsen her heart condition. Louise is grief-stricken upon hearing the news of her husband’s death and she locks herself in her room and weeps.

As Louise processes the news of her husband’s death, she realizes something wonderful and terrible at the same time; she is free. She is scared to admit it at first but Louise quickly finds peace and joy in her admission. She realizes that, although she will be sad about her husband whom she had loved sometimes, Louise is excited for the opportunity to live for herself. She keeps repeating the word "free” as she comes to terms with what her husband’s death means for her life.

In the meantime, Josephine sits at Louise’s door, pleading with her to come out because she is worried about Louise’s heart condition. After praying that her life is long-lived, Louise agrees to come out. However, as she comes downstairs, the front door opens and her husband comes in as he had not been killed in the accident at all. Louise suddenly dies although Richards tries to keep Louise’s heart from shock by shielding her husband from view which the doctors later attribute her death to "heart disease—of the joy that kills.”

Themes

1. Self-discovery and identity. When Mrs. Mallard first got to hear the news about her husband’s death she weeps violently with grief. But when she is alone in her room, she begins to feel an unknown sense of freedom and relief. She can feel the freedom to have control over her own life and begins to imagine her life without her husband and enjoys the visions of her future.
2. Oppression in marriage. Louise, who readily admits that her husband was kind and loving, feels joy when she believes that he is dead. Her reaction does not suggest any malice, and Louise knows that she will cry at Brently’s funeral. However, despite the love between husband and wife, Louise views Brently’s death as a release from oppression.