Woman’s Place in Marriage The story of an Hour by Kate Chopin is a controversial story about real wishes of a young married woman which she is unable to realize until the tragic moment shakes her consciousness. No matter how cruel and weird it seems, but husband’s death becomes a reason for Mrs. Mallard to find herself—free her body and soul, and feel joy of life, all of what marriage fails to give. Kate Chopin makes the reader re-evaluate personal moral values which are generally considered to bring enjoyment to life. Joy is more unreachable than people tend to think. It is not easy to find it. To enjoy spending time with loved ones, to receive presents, to share feelings is not that spiritual joy which would fill oneself with happiness and self-fulfillment. Mrs. Mallard felt joy “creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air”(1). That was the moment for which her soul was waiting, and this moment finally reached her due to the loss of her partner, her husband to whom she sacrificed years of her life. The realization of her true feelings and desires had shaken her consciousness. She wished to enjoy her own life, away from marriage. The main controversion of the story is that the news of husband`s death brought to Mrs. Mallard by her friends did not break her but, on the opposite, turned her to life. The situation seems unusual, thus it is real in comparison to false happy marriage stories which often become examples for people`s lives. Mrs. Mallard did not get a chance to live with that joy which so suddenly reached her. Her heart chose to die from joy, rather than continue to live the way she did before. Living in a world of dependency on things and beings gives a tiny chance to obtain freedom. Mrs. Mallard desired to be independent: “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself”(2). Finally, she realized that marriage is not a best choice, and now wanted to live for herself enjoying her own freedom. Such ideas are considered to be selfish. Thus, marriage is a personal choice. In reality, though, choosing to get married to someone leads to obligations and dependency on that person. For Mrs. Mallory marriage has appeared to be an abuse, though she did not notice the whole power of that abuse until that day when she was told that her husband is gone. Now, thinking that she has lost her husband, Mrs. Millard imagined: “There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature”(2). Young woman had a kind of personality for which it is unbearable to belong to someone other than herself. Getting free from belonging to others was her chance to gain spiritual freedom even if it cost her the loss of her husband. Mrs. Mallory is a strong personality because she allowed herself to identify how important her freedom is, and she felt that she is the one who should be in charge of her life, her thoughts, her will, and her feelings. One day has changed her life-perception. She wanted to erase her past of dependency and start her own free happy life without being tied with marriage. Many people would say that life without love is empty, However, Kate Chopin argues with that standard assumption. She presents a character who has lost herself giving years of life to her husband. Such sacrifice has ruined young lady. And, perhaps, marriage has nothing to do with love. So as love has nothing to do with being happy. “And yet she had loved him—sometimes. Often she had not”(2). The quote gives a blurry understanding that love is not as important, not necessary component of marriage, not able to bring constant happiness which would allow not to dream about anything else. With an absence of love there is no reason to get married. Living without love allows to be self-fulfilled and enjoy life: “What could love, an unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!”(2). Freedom in comparison to life in marriage appeared to be Mrs. Millard’s dream paradise. Love pushes one to fully sacrificing oneself forgetting personal satisfaction. And soon one realizes that it is not worth to get married. The question which solves an outcome is whether there is enough time to change everything and get self back. One hour may be longer than dozens of years, it may be enough for realizing that one had attained everything he or she expected from life, and is free to go. Young lady has left this life early. Though, the story makes believe that one hour gave to her more than whole life and Mrs. Millard died happily. She is among those lucky ones who had a chance to realize the purpose of her life. She had to die because that joy and freedom which she gained so suddenly could not coexist with conditions of earthly life where past is not leaving but comes back. So, the reality is shaking. People are often guided by false beliefs and assumptions. Those who are weak to break up marriage which is destroying them pretend to be happy though their sparkling eyes are as empty as their poor soul. There are few who die of heart disease called “joy that kills”(2). BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Chopin, K. “The Story of An Hour”. VCU: Educational Centre. 1894.