In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, we are introduced to Mrs. Mallard. She is portrayed as a loveless and heartless woman, overjoyed at the death of her husband - or at least that is the common misconception. Mrs. Mallard, although perceived as inhuman, is actually more human than most would like to believe. Although her actions may seem questionable, even condemned, they are hardly unthinkable in light of issues surrounding marriage and the role of women throughout history. The story itself presents a valid argument in favor of Louise since she is portrayed as the oppressed wife ultimately freed after her husband's death. At the beginning of “The Story of an Hour,” Mrs. Mallard is just a typical wife. It is only when she learns of her husband's death that she becomes simply Louise, now a person, no longer in her husband's shadow. After her husband's death, Louise believes that she will no longer suffer from a "powerful will that would bend her" (14), thus indicating that she had had no voice in the marriage. Chopin clearly indicates this lack of freedom and individuality in Louise's marriage by stating: “[. . .] this blind persistence with which men and women believe they have the right to impose a private will on a neighbor. » (14). This statement reflects the way in which men and women oppress each other, denying each other freedom and a sense of identity. This is consistent with the common view that women lost their individuality because their "legal existence was extinguished by the status of marriage." (Robson). Then we learn that Louise is indeed beginning to accept, even appreciate, the idea of ​​a life alone, as Chopin wrote of the years "which would absolutely belong to her [. . .] she would live for herself.” (14). Louise would...... middle of paper ......ion. Ed. Sylvan Barnett et al. 7th ed. New York: Longman, 2005, 13-15.Friedan, Betty. The feminine mystique. New York: WW Norton & Company, Inc., 1963. Kearl, Michael C. “Marriage and Family Life.” A sociological journey through cyberspace. November 16, 2005. http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/index.html#in.Mink, Gwendolyn. “The Reader's Companion to American Women's History: Legal Status.” Houghton Mifflin Study Center. November 19, 2005. http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/women/html/wh_020600_legalstatus.htm. Robson, Ruthann. “The Reader's Companion to American Women's History: Marriage.” Houghton Mifflin Study Center. November 19, 2005. http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/women/html/wh_022200_marriage.htm. “Women in Society: Great Britain”. Facts On File Inc. November 16, 2005. http://www.factsonfile.com/newfacts/Pdfs/46468/6-02.pdf#search='women%20in%20society%3A%20britain'.