The short story, "The Story of an Hour", was a story meant to show how the effects of oppression by men over women led to the freedom and inevitable death of Louise Mallard. The name of "The Story of an Hour" was used because Mrs. Mallard's realization of her freedom all takes place within one hour. Author Kate Chopin wrote the story in 1894 during a time in which women's suffrage was just beginning to really start up. Many references of oppression are made throughout the short story. The first reference comes from the last name Mallard. A mallard is a type of duck in which the male of the species is very bright and colorful, but the female is dull and brown. This symbolizes how females during the late 1800's and early 1900's were seen as people whose opinions were dull and not worth listening to. Mrs. Mallard is described as "young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even certain strength." While Mrs. Mallard may be repressed, she is still young and has time to end her repression. As the story begins it states "Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her gently as possible the news of her husband's death". This is used as foreshadowing of Mrs. Mallard's imminent death. After receiving the news of her husband's death, Mrs. Mallard "wept at once, with sudden wild abandonment, in her sister's arms. When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone." The "storm of grief" represents how bad and dark it is now that her husband has died, but in the next paragraph, Mrs. Mallard begins to notice the great changes that will come about soon. "There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair." The open window shows how thing are beginning to become clear to Mrs. Mallard and the "roomy" armchair shows how open and free she...