Kate Chopin and

In this task, you are being asked to discover the motivation behind the emotional upheaval Louise Mallard (the protagonist in "Story of an Hour") experiences and her unexpected reaction to the news of her husband's death.  It is necessary, however, to better understand Kate Chopin and her life and times before we can fully understand Louise Mallard.  It is too easy to assume that Louise was abused by her husband, but the story doesn't support that assumption. Why, then, does she react the way she does?

This task will take you to multiple websites to gain insight into Kate Chopin and her thoughts about the status of women and the constraints placed on them by "genteel society" of the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Hopefully, you will then better understand Louise Mallard's motivation.