Key Themes in Chopin’s The Story of an Hour

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Themes
The key themes of self-discovery, freedom and confinement, oppression, and mortality express the intended message of Chopin's The Story of an Hour.
Self-discovery is a major theme portrayed in Chopin's short story. According to Wan, "what could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!" (168). After Mrs. Mallard gets the news that her husband might be dead, she locks herself in a room whereby the sadness of her husband's death enables her to discover that she has not been free in her marriage. This is a stage of self-discovery where Mrs. Mallard hopes to have joy in her life. She prays that she could have a long life in order for her to have a chance of enjoying the joy and freedom that she has lacked all through her marriage life. In addition, Josephine is afraid that Mrs. Mallard might fall ill out of depression and convinces her to open the door. Contrary to the expectations of grief, Mrs. Mallard walks down the stairs in disbelief of her new found freedom. Therefore, Chopin brings out the theme of self-discovery by showing how the death of Brently made Mrs. Mallard discover her freedom.
The theme of freedom and confinement is also depicted in the story to a great extent. "Until her moment of illumination, Mrs. Mallard's emotions have been stifled and suppressed to fit into the mold of hollow social conventions" (Jamil 216). Mrs. Mallard is restricted in various ways hence making it difficult for her to enjoy freedom. To begin with, she is restricted by the bad heart of her marriage and the fact that she cannot leave her house. She is an upper class lady and, therefore, she can feel that freedom is searching its way in her life. She thus enjoys the emotional and mental freedom but still confined in her room. Confinement is revealed in the whole narration by the fact that she does not leave her room. In addition, as soon as she tries to leave the room, the freedom that she had begun to have is taken away from her hnec returning her to confinement. The author has used this theme to propel the story.
Oppression is also a key theme that Chopin portrays through her short story. According to Räsänen, Louis thinks of marriage as an institution of repression that limits the possibilities of both the husband and the wife (34). Mrs. Mallard seems to be happy about the fact that her husband has died because she would get a chance to enjoy the freedom that she has never enjoyed in her marriage. ...