In Defense of Mrs. Mallard in “the Story of an Hour”

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In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” Mrs. Mallard should not be judged harshly. Mrs. Mallard should be defended because she grieves over her husband, because of the status of their relationship, since she feels grief and numbness she tries to beat the sense of freedom once she has gained it. One reason why no one should view Mrs. Mallard harshly is because she does grieve over the loss of her husband, Brently Mallard. Losing a loved one or a friend can take a toll on a person, which is called the grieving process. The grieving process gives someone time to reflect and find new strength that enables one to continue on one’s own life journey and regain peace of mind. The following are the stages of grief: shock, emotional release, preoccupation with the deceased or crisis, symptoms of physical and emotional distress, hostile reactions, guilt, depression, withdrawal, resolution, and readjustment. Mrs. Mallard may be viewed as not grieving fully because she did not complete the entire process. Altogether, Mrs. Mallard may have finished the process faster than most, but she was still extremely hurt and upset and did not wish to lose her husband. Another reason why Mrs. Mallard should not be judged harshly is because her marriage, from her point of view, was not balanced. The relationship status of Mrs. Mallard and her husband was not the usual type of marriage, she states that she only loved him sometimes, but not all of the time: “And yet she loved him sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter! What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!” (Chopin 16). Not many spouses love each other only sometimes; they love each other all of the time, even when they may be arguing. Mrs. Mallard had a reason behind the way she loved her husband perhaps
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