Analysis of “The Story of an Hour”In her story “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin (1894) uses imagery and descriptive details to contrast the rich possibilities for which Mrs. Mallard longs, given the grim reality of his daily life. Chopin uses explicit words to give the reader background on Mrs. Mallard's position. Chopin uses "She immediately cried" to describe Mrs. Mallard's emotional reaction once she was told that her husband had been "killed." Mrs. Mallard cared for and loved her husband; getting married was the only way to live he knew. Mallard had heart problems, which made it imperative to break the news of her husband's death to her, delicately. That is why Josephine, Mrs. Mallard's sister, "told her in broken sentences, veiled hints that half-revealed themselves by hiding them" (Chopin, 1894, para. 2). Once the horrible news was delivered, Mrs. Mallard found herself alone in front of her “open window.” She “sunk into a comfortable armchair” (Chopin, 1894, par. 4). She was exhausted. Chopin describes Mrs. Mallard's experience sitting there; he saw the tops of the trees; rain in the air; a street vendor shouted his wares; the notes of a distant song reached her; and countless sparrows chirped in the gutters. (Chopin, 1894, para. 5) The descriptions engage the senses of sight and hearing, which allow the reader to imagine what Mrs. Mallard's experience was. Chopin (1894) "waited with fear for something to happen to her". As he waited, he could hear it coming, but he didn't know what it was. She tried to get up, but couldn't. Then she realized she was “free, free, free!” Mrs. Mallard was scared, but then she became joyful. “He knew he would cry again when he saw the gentle and tender hands clasped in death” (Chopin, 1894, par. 13). She knew she could live free, with no one around. This was something he had never experienced. Chopin (1894) writes: “He loved it, sometimes; but often he didn't. While Mrs. Mallard rejoiced, Josephine worried about her sister's health. Josephine was watching Mrs. Mallard through the "keyhole." Asking her to open the door, she refused, stating that she was fine. “He drank a true elixir of life through that open window” (Chopin, 1894, par. 18). Because Josephine was worried, she stood up and opened the door as if she were a “goddess of Victory”. Chopin (1894) describes how Mrs.