Back to: The Story of An Hour by Kate Chopin
The story is replete (filled) with dramatic and situational ironies. These devices bring a level of heightened drama in the story and also provide moments of great surprise. There is also a sense of comedy to the tragedy that occurs bringing a sense of levity around the grim subject of death and loss.
To begin with, Brently Mallard is supposed to be dead but he ends up visiting the house, in the end, all hale and hearty. The news of his sad demise is brought home by his friend Richards who waits for a second telegram to verify the news. However, it turns out he never verified it and it was based on misinformed rumors.
Then, Louise is supposed to be sad about her husband’s death but instead, she feels happy and excited with her newly found freedom. She even lets out cries of happiness.
Moreover, Louise’s sister believes that she must be torturing herself in grief inside her room. Ironically, Louise is contemplating the prospects of independent life.
In the end, when her supposedly dead husband returns, she is the one who ends up dead. To the world, it seems like she died out of shock and happiness to see him alive. However, ironically, she dies out of sheer sadness due to her freedom being lost to the restraints of marriage again.
