THE LOST LOVE
In the short story of “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin (1894). Louise Mallard (wife of Brentley Mallard) portrayed a devastating heart ache and shock that cost her life in the end. The narrator describes a representation of a bad love of loss and grief.
Mrs. Mallard had a known heart condition, therefore her sister Josephine revealed the news of her husband being killed in a railroad disaster. As carefully as possible after hearing the news Louise resided to her room and looked out the window in sadness.
The presence of spring was in the air. She reflected to her soul and suddenly was at ease with herself somehow relieved at the thought of being free at last. Although she had loved him sometimes “often she had not.”(Choplin) She knew when she saw his folded hands she would feel sorrow. Josephine cried for her to come out of the room; she walked out of the room. "She feels ecstatic with her newfound sense of independence.(http://www.sparknotes.com)It is so selfish of a wife to feel this way. In my opinion, the quick prayer she prayed that life might be long has represented bad love. A love that would be somehow better alone to the wife seems as if there was no love at all.
In The Depth of Despair
They descended down the stairs and the door opened; it was Brentley Mallard who entered. He was much alive and was unaware of the railroad disaster. “Louise was so devastated she passed in her state of heart disease-of joy that kills”. (Choplin)
In conclusion, the heartache from the loss was so great and the thoughts of grief was already in place. It seemed that when she realized it was all untrue, consequently it was too overwhelming for Louise. In such shock, surprising she died instead of her husband. The loss of love and life represents bad love.
Works cited
Literature Craft & Voice (Nicholas Delbanco)
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Story of an Hour.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2007. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.
About the Author
Kate Choplin grew up in St. Louis and went to catholic school. She could have written this story because the death of her father. An event that happen when she was very young and possibly inspired this story. She married a wealthy man” Oscar Choplin” and lived in Louisiana. There she raised their six children and lived an unusual lifestyle.