THE STORY OF AN HOUR by Kate Chopin

When was Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" written and published?

It was written on April 19, 1894, and first published in Vogue on December 6, 1894, under the title "The Dream of an Hour." It was reprinted in St. Louis Life on January 5, 1895.


Questions

1. How does Josephine break the news of Bently's death to his wife? Why?
2. How did Bently die?
3. How did Mrs. Mallard react to the news of her husband's death?
4. In what season does the story take place?
5. Why do you think the writer chose that season to set his story?
6. What did Mallard do after she heard the terrible news of her husband's death and after her first reaction to it?
7. What did Mrs. Mallard do in her room?
8. Why do you think Mrs. Mallard was so unhappy in her marriage?
9. Why did Richard try to hide Louise from her husband?
10. What happened at the end? Is it a good ending? Why?/ Why not?

1. Josephine broke the bad news softly to Louise, she spoke in broken sentences, because she had a weak heart, and she could die after heard it.
2. There was a train accident, and Bently was on that train in that moment, he was killed.
3. After her sister broke the bad news to Louise, she cried loudly in her sister’s arms and suddenly, the tears stopped and she went to her room alone.
4. This story takes place in spring.
5. It’s the time of the year when everything in nature rebirth. A time for Josephine to start again, to begin a new life.
6. She cried loudly in her sister’s arms and suddenly, the tears stopped and she went to her room alone. After that, she thought about her life, and discovered that she was free after her husband died.
7. In her bedroom, Mrs. Mallard sat down and looked out the window. Outside the window she saw trees, birds and the sky. She thought about her life and her freedom.
8. Because she had no freedom to express her opinion about different things. Her husband said what she could do or think.
9. Because Richard thought that Louise would be frightened to see that her husband was opening the door.
10. At the end of the story, Mrs. Mallard died. This is a good ending because readers never expect this. – She became free of mind and didn’t want to be her husband’s prisoner again so she dies.