"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin, is a tale of enlightenment. In this story, death leads to an awakening sense of freedom within Louise Mallard. I feel this story is not a coming-of-age story, since the main character is well past that biological time, but is a story of coming-of-character...or sense of self. For the first time, Louise feels free...her womanhood feels free. Life is no longer burdened by love and attachment. Death has set her free. "The Story of an Hour" expresses a revelation that occurs within Louise Mallard and gives her a sense of who she is, and the ability to live freely.
             Death usually entails grief and misery, and on the surface of the story, that is what we see. Louise Mallard cries and grieves when she hears of her husband's death, but after diving deeper into the story, I find that this grief is only superficial. I see a message that grieving [from death] is a normal human characteristic, so much so, that it seems almost "mainstream". For example, when someone dies, you grieve...and that's the way it is. This story goes beyond that, and shows a different way to look at death.
             Death serves as an awakening or enlightenment in this story. That sounds almost sadistic, but I feel it is an important element in the story. Superficially, as stated above, death brings the common mourning - crying, sadness, etc. - but in this story, it brings something else. This "something else", is beautiful and wonderful in the eyes of the widow. Personally, this upsets me, since I think marriage is a wonderful thing, but I see what the author is trying to get across. There is change that takes place because of this accidental death. Something wonderful happens, because Brently Mallard is mutilated in a train accident.
             I feel it is important that the main character is a woman in this story. This surprised me, and I found it uncommon. (Being the man t...