Topic > Critical response to The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

“The Story of an Hour” or “The Dream of an Hour” is an American literary text written by Kate Chopin in 1948. This story is about a woman named Louise, who endures the tragic death of her recently deceased husband, Brently. Louise's life takes a turn for the worse after this incident. She feels trapped and confined in her mind, body and soul. Louise is waiting for this feeling to slowly but surely fade away. Our souls may feel hidden in our bodies as we try to deal with such news. Regardless of the situation, we must be and feel satisfied with our mind, body and soul. Our emotional and mental health needs to feel free, not caged and confined. Therefore, Louise must feel the same way to ensure that she can fully deal with the situation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayLouise Mallard and her husband Brently Mallard are a married couple, living their lives as they come. Years pass and Mrs. Mallard's husband, Brently, tragically dies from being shot. Mrs. Mallard doesn't know yet because she has some heart problems. Two of her sisters decided to break the news to her. Close relatives and friends gathered nearby, time was reasonable to spread the news. Eventually, Louise's sisters had the courage to tell the tragic news to Mrs. Mallard, the new widow. Obviously Louise was in a state of pure shock and sadness. Immediately, Louise cried and mourned her new sorrows for her late husband. She wanted to be alone and away from everything and everyone. He isolated himself and hid in his room. As he approached his room and closed the door behind him, he sat down in his comfortable chair, as the breeze from the open window drifted into the room. There he sat in the chair with a sad and already exhausted expression on his face. She continued to cry and push away her pain as nostalgia for her deceased husband filled her mind. She knows that many difficult days await her as she tries to deal with this sudden tragedy of her loved one. Dealing with pain varies from person to person. You may feel caged, possessed, or lost without your loved one. Maybe Louise didn't always love Brently. Maybe they haven't always been on good terms with each other. However, they were each other's puzzle piece. Now that Brently is gone, Louise's puzzle piece is missing, as she feels the same way; mentally, emotionally and spiritually. She already feels caged inside herself. She feels as if she is trapped and stuck in a hole of endless darkness in her body and soul. The need to be free is yet to come. Louise has a sad but joyful dream in her sleep. While he sleeps, he sobs and continues to do so throughout his sleep. In her dream, Louise sees an image of herself when she was young and carefree, without a care in the world. He also sees a dull gaze from an unknown image in the distance crossing the blue sky. As Louie and the image get closer, she whispers softly, "Free, free, free!" Louise felt overwhelmed and was afraid of what would happen. It was her late husband, Brently, all gray and dead. Joy overflowed Louise's emotions. He opened his arms and waited for Brently to be welcomed into his arms. Louise continues to whisper: “Free! Body and soul! Free!". However, it is only a dream. She realizes that there are many years ahead of her now that Brently will no longer be here with her. Those years to come were to be lived for Louise herself, not for anyone else; as