A good short story, or any literary work, has many elements that can keep it from becoming outdated or unappreciated over time. "The Story of an Hour", by Kate Chopin, describes the death of one woman with an ironic twist. Through the utilization of violence, insight into human nature, and aesthetic appreciation Kate Chopin has created a story, which continues to entertain over time.
             In the opening of the story, Mrs. Mallard, who has heart trouble, is soon to be informed the tragic news of her husband's death. This leads the reader into the possibility that someone else, most likely Mrs. Mallard, would soon die. Later in the story, you see that it is not the suspected grief that leads to her death, but the false hope she had for a new free life. If the consequences of her husband's appearance had not been so dramatic, the story itself would lose the same effect on the reader.
             Chopin uses aesthetic appreciation to contrast Mrs. Mallard's views toward the world, before and after her husband's death. " She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air", is an example of Chopin's use of detail and beauty to describe the main character's feeling of freedom and renewal now that she is released from the restraints of her former husband. This excerpt of the story paints the picture of an average day viewed with her newly optimistic point of view. Through the use of aesthetic effects, Chopin relates the reader directly with her thoughts of freedom and her views of the outside world.
             The insight into Mrs. Mallard's human nature is what contributes most to the stories' success. Learning of her husband's death first leaves her in a depressed state of mind, but when looking at her new life, she realizes her new freedom and independent future.
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