Reading response using text book

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Response to “The Story of an Hour”
“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is about the heart condition of Mrs. Mallard which makes her be handled with care by everyone around her. She is aggrieved by the news of her husband’s demise as a result of an accident. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Mallard realizes that she has gained her free and liberated. However, as she leaves the room, she meets her “not-dead” husband, Mr. Mallard. She is shocked, collapses, and dies.
The major themes in the story include time, mortality, freedom, confinement, and communication language. The use of language is a profound theme since it is evident from the story what is to be said is important than what actually took place. The theme of freedom manifests itself when Mrs. Mallard seems happy after knowing that her husband dies (Meyer 17). She has lived in a confinement of their marriage, deprived of freedom by the husband. However, she does not attain the freedom as she collapses and dies when she finds out that her husband faked his own death. The major literary devices in “The Story of an Hour” include symbolism, allegory, and imagery. The trouble of heart engulfing Mrs. Mallard is used as a symbol of her love for the western civilization, which is culture and art. Death seems to hover around Mallard’s family like a constant reminder of an imminent threat or a bad omen (Meyer 19). The news of Mr. Mallard’s death comes as a shock to the family, but after the wife learns that was not dead, collapses and dies herself.

The piece of writing by Chopin is interesting, and I liked it since it shows how people misplace their priorities in understanding events and concepts (Barry 21). It is a valuable work as it reveals how people adapt to live with hidden fear caused by closely related people.

Works Cited
Barry, Peter. Beginning theory: An introduction to literary and cultural theory. Oxford University Press, (2017): 2-29.
Meyer, Michael. “The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, T.” (2004): 1-68.