The Story of an Hour depicts a single hour in Mrs. Mallard life, in which the lady who has a weak heart experiences the momentary joy of freedom after hearing that her husband has been killed in a railroad accident. Mrs. Mallard initial reaction, upon hearing of her husband death, is not far from what readers expect: she is deeply grieved, weeps and wants to be left alone. However, during the hour she spends alone …showed first 75 words of 454 total…

…showed last 75 words of 454 total…hardly any love in that fragile relationship. Ironically, Mrs. Mallard dies of heart attack, in the end, after she sees Mr. Mallard reach home as usual, without his even knowing about the accident. This extremely unexpected ending destroys all her dreams and wishes of the almost touchable, upcoming wonderful future. Her weak heart cannot endure the enormous disappointment by this last straw and it chooses the real free state of the ultimate joy -- death.