The Story of an Hour Webtext and

Questions
Site:
http://archive.vcu.edu/english/engweb/webtexts/hour/storyofhour.ht
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1. How might heart trouble be more than a physical ailment? Note

that this is the first thing we are told about her and how other
people respond to her. Evidently this is--at least for those
around her--an important part of who she is. Who took care?
Why is this written in the passive voice, with a "hidden"
subject? What does this construction suggest about Mrs.
Mallard's customary environment?
a. Sometimes heart trouble can mean sadness.
Heart trouble could also be emotionally or going threw a heart
break. Is she having heart problems because of her husband death
or of something else.?She is very emotional and starts crying right
away
2. Why is she tantalizing her with hints? Is this alerting us that
there may be other "veiled hints" in the story? What does this
suggest about how the family views Mrs. M.?
They are giving her hints because they want her to find out her
self. Why do they want her to find out her self when they could
just tell her right away?
3. What does this paragraph suggest about Richards' feelings for
Mrs. M? Why is he in such a hurry? Is the code of the "southern
gentleman" at work here, or could there be more to his
concern than that?
The message was sad to her so they didnt want her to find out
about it. When it came to that time when her husband died she
was all emotional and sad about it. How did her husband died?
4. Why are we first told how she does NOT hear the news? What
does this reaction suggest about her? about how "ladies" were
expected to react? Look for repeated uses of the negatives and
positives in the story and consider why they might be used.
A. She knew it was true
MQ. Who as to do with her husband death.
5. What does this passionate response tell us about her? This is
our first real clue as to what sort of person she is--aside from
her reported state of health.
A. She misses her husband didnt take the news of his death
easily.
MQ. What is she playing to do know

6. How are the window and chair descriptions suggestive of

longing or desire? What do they imply about her ordinary life?
Look for other images associated with open and closed.
A. Open window sitting on a chair. That she likes relax most of
her time.
MQ. Does she have any stuff to do besides relaxing?
7. What does this very dramatic (even melodramatic) statement
suggest about her psychological state? her life? Note the
intimate connection between body and soul.12
A. That she is getting hunted down
MQ. By who is she getting hunted down by an why?
8. Note the contrast of motion and stillness. Why is the time of
year so important?
A. Because she is noticing that things are changing
MQ. Why is she noticing that stuff are changing so fast?
9. Delicious ordinarily refers to taste. Who is "tasting" here? Why
is the word used?
A. This is refers to Mrs. Mallard when it says Tasting
MQ. What does she mean by tasting?
10. She too has been "crying." What does this detail, as well
as the other sensory images, tell you about what she is
experiencing?
A. Her crying is like music?
MQ. Why is she crying?
11. How does this picture represent symbolically what she
sees about her situation?
A. Soon enough her life is going to clear up
MQ. How long would it take for her life to be cleared up?

1. Time
2. Scared
3. Because she has freedom now
4. The family is going to be close together
5. She is talking against that
6. Her body is dying.
7. They think that she is falling apart
8. Freedom is coming from the open window
9. She dies and her husband lives.