In Kate Chopin’s short story, “The Story of an Hour”, Mrs. Mallard displays joy and happiness after learning her husband passed away. A better understanding of marriage during the late nineteenth century and Mrs. Mallard’s situation justifies her reaction and causes the reader to pity her. Marriage during Mrs. Mallard’s time was much more restricting for women than in today’s world. Mrs. Mallard, like other women at this time, lost all freedom and uniqueness upon marriage to a man. Marriage laws and practices, like coverture, view married woman as slaves instead of wives. Mrs. Mallard expressed joy and happiness after her husband’s death because she could finally escape an unhappy marriage, assume an identity, and experience freedom. 

When Mrs. Mallard married, she gave away her freedom, uniqueness, and identity through laws like coverture. Under coverture, “a married woman did not have a separate legal existence from her husband” (Harvard Business School). In the eyes of the law and society, Mrs. Mallard was practically the property of Mr. Mallard and under his complete control. She did not have the legal opportunity to file for divorce either. She was forced to stay with Mr. Mallard unless he decided otherwise or died. Although the story never offers any evidence of physical abuse from Mr. Mallard, Mrs. Mallard’s joyful reaction after his death signals she was not happy in her marriage. In the story, it says Mrs. Mallard often did not love her husband (Chopin 2). But, her husband’s death provided her with the chance to escape her unhappy marriage. She could finally stop suffering through a life filled with despair. Mrs. Mallard was joyful after the death of Mr. Mallard because it was the best way to end her marriage. His death signaled an end to much unhappiness in Mrs. Mallard’s life. 

The end of her marriage represented a chance to finally experience freedom and live her own life. Married woman like Mrs. Mallard were, “not expected to engage in self-assertion” (Jamil 216). Mrs. Mallard could not even place her own interests ahead of her husband’s. She couldn’t go out into the world and pursue her own dreams and passions. She was trapped in an unhappy marriage and forced to be totally submissive to her husband. Shortly after hearing the news, the narrator says, “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she [Mrs. Mallard] would live for herself” (Chopin 2). Mrs. Mallard is filled with excitement and happiness because she has been freed from a form of slavery disguised as marriage. She can finally pursue all her own hopes and dreams since the restrictions of marriage have finally been lifted. The story goes on to say, “There would be no powerful will bending hers” (Chopin 2). Mrs. Mallard and her life are no longer under the control of her husband through marriage. The death of her husband signaled the end of her marriage, which gave her freedom. 

While trying to comprehend the news she just received alone in a private room, Mrs. Mallard looks out to notice a beautiful Spring day, a singing peddler, a group of people singing a song, and sparrows flying around. All this happiness, beauty, and positivity Mrs. Mallard observes through an open window represents all the joys of freedom she can pursue. It was through that window, she was, “drinking in a very elixir of life” (Chopin 2). She is shutting the door on her marriage with her husband and looking forward to a joyful future. Her reaction is completely justified and understandable because, “her husband, the source of her suppressed and repressed emotions, suddenly seems to have disappeared, her bottled emotions gush out to taste freedom just as the world of nature” (Jamil 218). Mrs. Mallard was the victim of emotional and mental abuse because she was forced to reject all her own emotions, thoughts, dreams, and interests and instead life a life of slavery under her husband. It is not absurd or crazy for a married woman to experience joy when a livelihood like this comes to end, even if it resulted from your husband’s death. 

Along with gaining freedom, Mrs. Mallard also gained an identity through the end of her marriage. During this time, a married woman like Mrs. Mallard was “a dependent, like an underage child or a slave, and could not own property in her own name or control her own earnings” (Harvard Business School). Marriage stripped Mrs. Mallard of her identity and uniqueness and was seen more as the property of her husband. In the eyes of the law and society she was not viewed as Louise Mallard, but instead as the wife subordinate to Mr. Mallard, incapable of getting a job, owning property, or even thinking for herself. With her husband gone and her marriage over, she could finally live a life of her own choosing. She could express all the great gifts and dreams she possesses. She gains an, “awareness that transforms Mrs. Mallard into Louise, the individual, and that makes her ‘[see] beyond’ the stifling past into a promising future” (Jamil 219). The identity along with the freedom she now possesses finally allows Mrs. Mallard to live her own life as she chooses. In the story, she continues to whisper, “Free! Body and soul free!” (Chopin 2). She can finally express her own thoughts and emotions and just be herself. She no longer has to suffer from the overbearing restrictions of marriage or suppress everything that makes her who she is. This freedom and newfound identity could manifest itself only if Mr. Mallard passed away, subsequently ending their marriage. Therefore, Mrs. Mallard does not come across as evil or insane for finding happiness in the death of her husband. His death brought about hope for a better life and gave her an unique identity, something she had never experienced. During the time that she believes her husband is dead and their marriage is over, Mrs. Mallard, “does truly taste joy” and “does glimpse meaning and fulfillment” because she now has freedom and a unique identity (Jamil 220). 

Even though a marriage like this between Mr. and Mrs. Mallard represented the norm for this time period, it is important to understand that Mrs. Mallard was forced into marriage and could only logically escape marriage if her husband died. As mentioned before, “a married woman did not have a separate legal existence from her husband” so it was impossible for her to file for divorce, no matter how unhappy she was (Harvard Business School). But, she was still forced into marriage because women, “had limited means of economic survival outside of marriage” (Harvard Business School). Since women were viewed as well beneath men, both physically and mentally, women could not get jobs and support themselves on their own. The only way for a woman to avoid a life of poverty was to marry and become fully dependent on the man, both financially and legally. This also prevented women from leaving their husbands because they could not survive without a husband. Therefore, it is ignorant to blame Mrs. Mallard for getting herself into an unhappy marriage and never leaving or filing for divorce if she despised the marriage. Mrs. Mallard married so she could survive and avoid poverty and she had no legal right to leave her husband. The only way she could survive without marriage and her husband and pursue her own happiness was if her husband passed away. She is overjoyed and excited to hear the news because it was the only way she could happily live her own life, discover freedom, and gain an identity. 

Since the institute of marriage was very restrictive, oppressive, and unhappy for women like Mrs. Mallard at this time, her joyous reaction to the news of her husband’s death is not only understandable, but also logical. Mr. Mallard’s death freed her from slavery and gave her freedom and an identity. All Mrs. Mallard ever wanted was to live her own life and express herself but marriage prevented that. She was forced into this unhappy marriage and unable to ever escape except by the death of her husband. Mrs. Mallard’s heart trouble mentioned in the beginning of the story was not a physical ailment, but instead represented, “a sign of a woman who has unconsciously surrendered her heart” (Jamil 216). Mr. Mallard’s death would have       given Mrs. Mallard her life back. Mrs. Mallard went from the happiest moment in her life, to the most miserable moment of her life when she realizes her husband is not dead. 
