The Story of an Hour”

The Story of an Hour”

Deep Sorry

Kate Chopin, who is the author of the book, “The story of an hour,” bases his story on the theme of emotional crisis. The story describes that Mr. Brentley Mallad has been reported dead due to an accident. The newsroom has declared that it is a murder, and it is not the first one of its kind. This is information that is known to Richard, the friend of the deceased who is working at the Media house. The wife, Mrs. Mallad, is made aware of the demise of her husband by her sister in bits. This trend is because she tends to overreact when she is told any sad news. Her sister mourns with her, but she searches for privacy (Chopin, 56). This is when she discovers that she is lonely in the world. She feels like she has no one to hold her hands when she needs her husband.  She even feels hopeless in the current world, and as she stares into the sky, she only sees and feels death and despair. She wishes that death would take her too, and this is shown when she stretches her weak hands and feels dead (Chopin, 57). This psychological disturbance is noticed by Josephine and Richard, who become very concerned and intervene. They come looking for her and find her locked in her room alone. They convince her to open the door, and their tone showed concern that she might harm herself if she continues to stay locked in. When she finally opens the door, she is shocked to see that her husband is home and that he was a case of mistaken identity in the accident that allegedly killed him (Chopin, 58). He was alive, and this turn of events overwhelmed Mrs. Mallad, who died of a heart attack based on the doctor’s reports.

The protagonist in the story is Mrs. Mallad, and this is because she is the one who is the main focus of the story. She experiences both internal and external conflict. When it comes to internal ones, she is seen to have an emotional crisis.  She was still enjoying the beauty of being alive, and the disadvantage of death as said the quote, “But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely” (Chopin, 57). On the other hand, she wishes to escape her sad emotions and die. This situation is indicated in the following quote, “She knew she would weep again, and she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death, the face that had never looked saved with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead” (Chopin, 57). Her external crisis occurs when she is told that her husband is dead and the media newspaper claim that he was murdered, and then later, he turns out to be alive in the end. This story is indicated as follows, “Someone was opening the front door with a latchkey. It was Brently Mallard who entered” (Chopin, 58).

The poem by Kate Chaplin, “Deep Sorry,” supports the theme of emotional crisis. It indicates in the part that states, “Blank stares with terrified eyes are being forced into focus and brightening. Her pulses beat faster than as usual. She gets released from the highly pumped blood through every nerve of her body. She still thinks of the whole scenario as a mysterious joy that has imprisoned her emotions. Deep in her thoughts, she dismisses the entire interpretation of this perception and confirms it’s not a trial, “a clear and exalted perception enabled her to dismiss the suggestion as trivial.” She thinks of crying again because all she knows, the kind-hearted and tendered hands are no longer alive and open, but instead have folded helplessly’ she is missing the diseased who used to be loving so much, turned gray, dead at a fixed position. She recalls her old memories that her sister’s husband, who was so caring to her, would one day die, and she would forever miss him. At this point, she roles into acceptance state, her stats to recover from the total blackout” (Chopin, 57). This quote shows emotional turmoil and the experiences that one when they are mourning and suffering. It indicates the stages of grief that are often accompanied by an emotional crisis.

The American dream of interdependence is exhibited in the story by the idea of family and friends needing each other’s psychological and emotional support to help them overcome the hard times without severe consequences. Chopin’s account suggests that this kind of American dream is essential to people and that it is deadly for someone who is hurting emotionally to lack someone to support them. Those who get to experience interdependence are those who have experienced emotional pain or damaged in one way or another, including death. It is unattainable for those who lock out those who are their families and friends who may help them overcome the rough times. They may end up dead as a result. Chopin, therefore, offers hope to people who are mourning or suffering emotional that they can heal from emotional pain despite the troubles they face as long as they have a circle of support or seek help from those who offer it.

Work Cited

Chopin, Kate. The story of an hour. Jimcin Recordings, 1981.