"All of a sudden there were people screaming. I saw people jumping out of the building. Their arms were flailing." These recollections by Michael Walters, a freelance photojournalist from Manhattan, refer to the events of September 11, 2001. No one expected two airplanes to demolish the World Trade Center.
             Many events that people encounter in life are unpredictable. Occasionally, these events are fortunate, but at times they can bring a person misfortune, misery and ultimately death. Two literary pieces that exhibit how life is unpredictable in a negative way are "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin and "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce.
             "The Story of an Hour" is a tragic tale with an unbelievable sudden ending. Mrs Mallard, the main character, is a married women who discovers that her husband is apparently dead. The reader automatically thinks that Mrs. Mallard will become filled with sadness. She does for a while, but then the reader is presented with a twist. Mrs. Mallard copes with her husband's death quickly, then realizes that she is content without his presence.
             Marriage was a prison for Mrs. Mallard. Marriage oppressed her, she lacked freedom, the freedom to prosper and do what she wanted to. For the first time, Mrs. Mallard felt free. Yes, Mrs. Mallard was fond of her husband in some respects, but she loved her freedom much more. The supposed passing of her husband allowed Mrs. Mallard the opportunity to process her true feelings and emotions about her marriage. Her revelations are unsettling. But it is more important to confront true feelings than to mask them from oneself.
             The ending of the story is the return of Mrs. Mallard's husband, who miraculously escaped death. Mrs. Mallard is shocked by his presence and immediately suffers a fatal heart attack. Other characters attribute her death from joy at seeing her husband once again. But in reali...