The Story of An Hour by Kate Chopin

The short story, "The Story of An Hour" puts you in the shoes of a married woman in the late 1800s.

Chopin does a great job in defining the gender roles in this time period by labeling the protagonist, as "Mrs Mallard" a woman without a first name or with no personal identity.

The story begins with what seems to be a sad message, Mr Mallard has been identified as a casualty of a train car accident. The shocking news takes Mrs Mallard on a emotional rollacoaster ride. At first Mrs Mallard accepts the news in a deviating manner and shows genuine sadness, but quickly develops a feeling of empowerment. She begins realize the freedom that has come as of a result of Mr Mallards death. The freedom generates excitement and a new found passion to live. Even though Mrs Mallards husband never shows evidence of unfair treatment, the repression during their marriage had contributed to this hidden resentment. Now that Mrs Mallard believes that her husband is gone, she starts to envision taking control of her live. This brief moment was interrupted by then news that her husband was in fact not dead. The now enlightened Mrs Mallard, could not bear to return to her old life and dies from her heart condition.

This short story is written in the late 1800s, approximately 20 years before the Woman's suffrage. Did this story have any influence on the woman's rights movement in the years to come? What could this Author's message be the woman of this era?