the story of an hour

the main purpose of, "Story of an Hour" is to show how marriage is a form of slavery. She believes, society holds married women captive. She expresses this by the sudden conviction and the caprice by Mrs. Mallard after the "death" of her husband. Thus Mrs. Mallard's "heart condition" represents the lack of freedom and her desire to be released from the bondage. Though she does not realize it, subconsciously she knows that society has imposed marriage as the only "good" and "righteous" position for women. Furthermore, societies, controlled by men, give the perception that only through marriage can a woman truly be happy. So her heart starts to collapse because she has given into marriage and thus she has lost her freedom and "free will."

After she learns of her husband's "death" she no longer is confined. As she ponders this idea, she releases all the stress and emotions that had been building up during the years of marriage. It is overwhelming, yet as...