The Story of an Hour

Question #7: Why does Mrs. Mallard die? To what extent is her husband responsible for her death? For her unhappiness?

I believe she dies from despair. From a broken heart because she felt monstrously joyful about finally being free. Free from her husbands dominance over her and although she states he has a kind hand, he never showed it towards her. Nor did he show her love. This caused her so much unhappiness and despair that once the reality set in that he was dead, she felt relieved and happy that finally she would be able to live for herself. However, the surprise of her husband walking through the door, alive, not dead, as she was to believe, was more than she could handle. Having a heart problem to start with, Mrs. Mallard just gave up on her own life.

Question # 8: What general idea about marriage does the story convey?

That although some married couples seem to be so happy in their marriage, in a lot of cases that is far from the truth. Some marriages are not alway what they appear to be. That not all marriages are based on love. Some are based on convenience and security. In Mrs. Mallards case, I believe she stayed married because she didn't want the embarrassment of divorce. That some people saw Mr. Mallard as having a "kind hand". Perhaps friends and family would not believe her if she told them the truth. The truth about how he treated her in private.