Marriage In "The Story Of An Hour"

Marriage affects everyone's life once they "˜take the big plunge.' In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour,"� Mrs. and Mr. Mallard's marriage was dominated primarily by Mr. Mallard which was evident by Mrs. Mallard's response to the news of her husband, Mr. Mallard's "death."� Mr. Mallard took control of Mrs. Mallard's life and made all the decisions without collaboration or no consideration of her. Mrs. Mallard, who knows nothing but how to be controlled, was emotionally confused and unstable with her new freedom.

Male domination was quite common during the times of Mrs. and Mr.

Mallard's, which was around the 1900's. Mr. Mallard dominated Mrs. Mallard's life and it was so obvious. When in the story it states "...she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: "˜free, free, free!'"� Mrs. Mallard had done this unconsciously without any hesitation.

Mallard

Kate Chopin in 1894

Mallard

In doing so, it was the truth of the situation. She thought of herself as single and without her husband, the one who led her on a path that she did not enjoy, and she was literally free. Free from his demands, his selfishness, and most importantly, his overall domination of her.

Mrs. Mallard's life, of the life Mr. Mallard choose for her, was for her to be around the house where she could cook and clean. Mr. Mallard was always travelling which was obvious when he was assumed to being in the train accident.

If Mr. Mallard was not a frequent traveler then someone would have said that it was unfortunate for him since he so rarely traveled. Instead, it was said at the end of the story, "It was Brently Mallard who entered, a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his gripsack and umbrella."� In that...