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The Story of an Hour Study Guide

You can find the story online at: www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/hour/
After reading Chopin’s short story The Story of an Hour, use complete sentences to answer the following questions.

Literary Element Section

Characterization
1. Describe Mrs. Mallard’s character. What internal characteristics does Chopin focus upon while writing
about Mrs. Mallard?
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Conflict
2. What are the major conflicts in "The Story of an Hour"? (List Man vs. ______ and give examples to
support your answer.)
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3. How does Chopin use conflict to develop the characters in the story?
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Setting
4. The setting of the story is very limited; it is confined largely to a room, a staircase, and a front door.
How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?
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Foreshadowing
5. What does Chopin foreshadow about the climax during the first paragraph?
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Plot
6. Fill in the following plotline with examples from the story.

Symbolism
7. What are some symbols in "The Story of an Hour"? What do the symbols stand for? Explain your
answer.
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8. Some say that this story is about a symbolic journey. Where does Mrs. Mallard "travel"?
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Theme
9. What are some themes in the story? Give examples to explain your answer.
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 Text Questions
10. What is important about the title?
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11. The story says Mrs. Mallard “had loved him [her husband]–sometimes. Often she did not.” If she was
“often” not in love with him, why did she marry him?
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12. What was life like for Mrs. Mallard in the home of Brently Mallard?
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13. Do you believe Brently Mallard mistreated his wife? In answering this question, keep in mind the
following: (1) In Paragraph 13, Louise Mallard recalls that Brently was kind and that "he had never looked save
with love upon her." (2) However, Paragraph 8 had previously informed the reader that Mrs. Mallard's face
"bespoke repression," and Paragraph 14 says Brently had a "powerful will bending her."
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14. What is Mrs. Mallard's reaction when she hears about her husband?
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15. Why does Mrs. Mallard eventually lock herself in her room?
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 16. What is Josephine afraid that Louise will do? Why?
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17. Mrs. Mallard is described as descending the stairs "like a goddess of Victory." In what ways does she
feel herself victorious?
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18. Does the story end the way you expected? How? Why?
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19. How would this story change if it had been Mr. Mallard at home with heart problems hearing about
Mrs. Mallard’s death?
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20. Would you recommend this story to a friend?

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