Sometimes grief can confuse a person into thinking that they are better off without their loved one, and sometimes they are right. In "The Story of an Hour", Mrs. Mallard gains her freedom after the death of her husband, Brently, just to lose it all over again when he returns home safely. When Brently was reported dead in a railroad accident, Richards, Brently's friend, and Josephine, Mrs. Mallard's sister, broke the news gently to her with her heart problems in mind. Mrs. Mallard was devastated, if only for a little while. She cries in her sister's arms and then retreats to her room, locking herself in alone. Sitting in her chair in front of an open window, Mrs. Mallard listens to the sounds of life and the smells of nature. Life goes on no matter what tragedy has occurred. She begins to question if Brently's death is really a disaster or a blessing in disguise. She realizes that although she loves her husband and would miss him, she relishes the thought of learning to live for herself. She is now free to do as she chooses. He can no longer bend her will to his. She leaves her room feeling confident in herself. Upon walking down the stairs with Josephine, the front door is opened. Josephine screams at seeing Brently walk in. Mrs. Mallard dies. Doctors report that the cause of death is a heart disease – joy that kills. Was it really joy upon seeing Brently that killed her? After learning about the death of her husband, Mrs. Mallard quickly grieved and then decided that she was better off without him. When she saw him again, did she realize that she really did not want to live without him? Was she so thankful that he was alive, that her heart literally burst with joy? Or was it the devastation of learning that she really did not want to be with him, that she only wanted to be free, and now that he was alive that she was stuck with him again? Even though she cared for her husband ...