Story of

any Hour
AUTHOR
K AT E C H O P I N

PRESENTED BY
 UJALA GHUMMAN
 N AT I Q A L I
 Story Of An Hour
AUTHOR ABOUT STORY
 KATHERINE O’ FLAHERTY  Written on April 19, 1894.
 BORN: 8 TH FEBURARY 1851 IN MISSOURI   Published in Vogue (United States) 
 DIED: 22 ND AUGUST 1904
December 6, 1894
 AMERICAN AUTHOR
"The Dream of an Hour". It was later
 REALISTIC FICTION GENRE
reprinted in St. Louis Life on January
5, 1895, as "The Story of an Hour".
 Story Of An Hour
About Author
Kate was born in Missouri (State of America). She was born to Thomas O’
Flaherty, a successful businessman and Eliza Faris, a well-connected member of
ethnic French community. She graduated from Sacred Heart Convent in St. Louis.
She got married in 1870 and moved to new Orleans. Then she moved to Louisiana.
She had six kids from 1871 to 1879. Her husband died in 1882 and left her in a debt
of $42,000. she started her writing career in early 1890’s. Best known for her
stories about the inner lives of sensitive, daring women.
She suffered from a brain hemorrhage on august 20 th, 1904 and died two days later.
 Characters

The story revolves around four characters.

o Mrs. Louise Mallard
o Mr. Brently Mallard
o Josephine (Louise Sister)
o Richards (Brently Friend)
 PLOT
Louise Mallard suffers from a condition that makes
her heart weak. Richards reads in paper about a
railroad disaster and sees Brently’s name on the list
of those who were killed. Josephine must carefully
inform her sister about the death of her husband.
Louise begins sobbing when she learns about
Brently’s death and goes upstairs to be alone in her
room.
She sits down and looks out and open window. She
sees trees, smells approaching rain, and hears a
peddler yelling out what he's selling. She also hears
sparrows and the fluffy white clouds in sky .
 Plot
• She is young with lines around her eyes. Still crying, she gazes into the distance.
She feels apprehensive and tries to suppress the building emotion within her but
can't. She begins repeating the word “FREE!” to herself repeatedly. Her heart
bests quickly, and she feels very warm
• She knows that she would cry when she sees his corpse. His tender hands and his
loving looks. But then she thinks of her life, years ahead, which only belongs to
her. She will be free, on her own without anyone to oppress her. She thinks that all
men and women oppress each other even if they do it out of kindness. Though she
loved her husband, but she feels ecstatic with her newfound sense of independence
 Plot
• Josephine comes to her door begging her to come out
, warning her that she’ll get sick if she doesn’t. she
tells her to go away as she fantasizes about all the
days and years ahead and hopes she lives long life.
Then she opens the door and walks downstairs where
Richards is waiting.
• The door unexpectedly opens and Brently enters. He
had not been in the train and wasn’t even aware of
the incident. Josephine screams and Richard’s
unsuccessfully tries blocking Louise from seeing
him. Doctors arrive and pronounce her dead, by a
heart attack caused by happiness .
Themes:
• Freedom and independence
• Identity
• Women's role and feminism
• Marriage and love
Motif: (recurrent salient thematic element)
• Weeping
Symbols:
• Heart trouble
• Open window
• spring
Important
quotations:
 AUTHORS
RELATION WITH
STORY
Thank
You