The story of an hour
Reading response # 1
Alicia Stoute

 “The story of an hour” really resonated with me because the situation or story line is so similar to situations I have been privy to witness first hand. Mrs. Mallard was in a marriage that she felt trapped in and too often I see both younger and older women getting married to men that are so dominant that the woman eventually loses herself in the marriage. She becomes but another piece of furniture.
 Mrs. Mallard had just received news that her husband had died, after the initial tears that were to be expected,  she felt a sense of joy and freedom; finally a chance to live for herself, to be her own person, without the domineering presence of her husband.
This story reminded me of stories my mother would telme about the olden days, when women stayed with their husbands weather they loved them or not. In those days it was truly until death do us part; no one was asking for a divorce least of all the woman. These days’ people get married and just as quickly fall out of love with each other. Too many people get married for all the wrong reasons then they find themselves in a less than ideal situation, some kill their spouses to be free of them, many end up in divorce court, and then there are those like Mrs. Mallard who stay in an unhappy marriage.
Mrs. Mallard was already looking forward to a brighter future when she was confronted with the sad truth that her husband was not really dead.  The shock was too much for her to bear and she died of a heart attack. I can only hope that women in a similar situation would find a way out of such a marriage. It is my belief that if we all truly took the time to get to know people before jumping into marriage we would have far less divorces, and even less unhappy marriages.