Characters
Who is the main character in The Story of an Hour?
(Who is Louise Mallard or Mrs. Mallard?)
How does Mrs. Mallard initially react to the news of her husband’s death?
(She cries at first but then feels a sense of freedom.)
What theme is highlighted by Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to her husband’s “death”?
(The theme of freedom and self-identity.)
What type of irony is present when Mrs. Mallard reacts with joy instead of sorrow?
(Situational irony.) or (Dramatic irony)
What does the open window symbolize?
(A new beginning and freedom.)
What is the name of Mrs. Mallard’s husband?
(Who is Brently Mallard?)
What does Mrs. Mallard whisper repeatedly after realizing she is free?
what is (“Free, free, free!”) or ("Free! Body and soul free!")
How does the story critique marriage?
(It suggests that marriage can be restrictive, even in loving relationships.)
What is ironic about the way the doctors explain Mrs. Mallard’s death?
(They think she died of happiness, but she actually died from shock and disappointment.)
What does Mrs. Mallard’s heart trouble symbolize?
(Her emotional repression and unhappiness in marriage.)
Which character gently tells Mrs. Mallard about her husband’s supposed death?
(Who is Richards?)
What event causes Mrs. Mallard’s sudden death?
(Seeing her husband alive.)
What does the phrase “the joy that kills” symbolize?
(Irony—people assume she died from happiness, but she really died from losing her freedom.)
Why is it ironic that people carefully break the news of Brently’s death to Mrs. Mallard?
(She wasn’t devastated by it—she felt free.)
What does springtime represent in the story?
(Renewal, hope, and a new life.)
Who is Josephine, and what is her role in the story?
(Who is Mrs. Mallard’s sister, who comforts her after hearing the news?)
What does the doctor claim caused Mrs. Mallard’s death?
(“heart disease of the joy that kills.”)
What does Mrs. Mallard’s heart condition symbolize?
(Her emotional and physical constraints in marriage.)
How is dramatic irony used in the story?
(The audience knows Mrs. Mallard’s happiness isn’t from love but from freedom, while the other characters do not.)
How does the story’s setting contribute to its meaning?
(It takes place in a confined home, symbolizing Mrs. Mallard’s trapped life.)
What role does Brently Mallard’s unexpected return play in the story?
(It serves as the shocking twist that leads to Mrs. Mallard’s death.)
How is the news of Brently Mallard’s death revealed to be false?
(He walks into the house, unharmed and unaware of the accident.)
How does the story challenge societal expectations for women in the 19th century?
(It shows that women may long for independence rather than just being wives.)
How does the ending create situational irony?
(Mrs. Mallard thought she was free, but her husband’s return takes that freedom away instantly, leading to her death.)
How does Chopin use nature imagery to reflect Mrs. Mallard’s emotions?
(The fresh air and blue sky outside contrast her past life, showing her rebirth.)