In this story, the death of her husband leads to a sense of liberty within Louise Mallard. This story presents us with a woman who is obviously unhappy in a marriage. Kate Chopin uses the essay to portray what Mrs. Mallard's feelings were.
             I gather from this story that even though Mrs. Mallard was a loving wife she was not treated with affection and love by her husband. This is illustrated in the essay when she says, "... to impose a private will upon a fellow creature." I conclude that her husband might have been oppressing her at some point in time which made her feel imprisoned in the marriage. As a result of this, she was able to find a form of peace and tranquility as she sat and looked through the open window. It made her realize what she had been missing; her freedom. Finally she was able to see the sky and appreciate it. She was able to notice a peddler, smell the rain and hear a song.
             Even though she admits to loving him, she feels that she can finally live for herself; perhaps not in fear of her husband. Throughout the story, especially in the tenth and eleventh paragraphs, her freedom is reinstated. Her freedom was more important to her than the pain of losing her husband. She saw beyond the grievous atmosphere that was created when her husband died and looked forward to the years ahead.
             At the end of the story, it is discovered that Mr. Mallard is alive and Mrs. Mallard is said to die of "joy that kills" but I think the fact that she would now have to give up her "new found freedom" was too much for her. I also think that the crying and grieving was only superficial, more or less tradition. The story shows us a different view of death; here the death of her husband is being seen as a portal to another life or another reality. There was still some hope of liberty, until her husband appeared alive!
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