THE ANALYSIS OF CHARACTER IN A SHORT STORY

"The analysis of Character in the Story of an Hour"

Author: Kate Chapin

            Upon hearing the news of Brently Mallard's tragic railroad accident death in the newspaper office, his friend Richards rushes to the Mallards' house, where he and Mrs. Mallard's sister Josephine gently inform the weak-hearted Mrs. Mallard of Brently's death. In response, Louise Mallard weeps openly before going to sit alone in her room.

            Exhausted, Mrs. Mallard sits motionless in her armchair by the window and looks at all the beauty of the outside world, occasionally sobbing. She is young, with a calm and strong face, but she stares dully into the sky while she waits nervously for a revelation. Finally, she realizes despite her initial opposition that she is now free. Terror leaves her eyes while her pulse beats faster.

            Mrs. Mallard knows that she will mourn her loving husband's death, but she also predicts many years of freedom, which she welcomes. She begins planning her future, in which she will live without the burden of other people. She loved her husband, more or less, but love is nothing to her when compared to independence, she decides, as she murmurs, "Free! Body and soul are free!"

            Josephine asks Mrs. Mallard to let her enter because she is afraid that the grieving widow will make herself ill, but Mrs. Mallard is actually imagining the happiness of the years ahead. In fact, only the day before she had feared living a long life. Triumphantly, she answers the door and goes downstairs with her arm around Josephine's waist, where Richards awaits.

            At this moment, Brently Mallard comes in the front door, having been nowhere near the train disaster. Richards moves in front of him to hide him from seeing his wife when she cries out. By the time the doctors arrive, she has died from "heart disease," purportedly from "the joy that kills."

Characters

A.    Mrs. Louise Mallard is the wife of Mr. Brently Mallard.

Characteristics:

1.      Protagonist. This character is introduced directly by the writer in 2^nd paragraph in the sentence “she is young, with a calm and strong face”. 

2.      Static. Mrs. Louise has two characteristics. She looks unhappy when hear her husband was death. In other side she predict the coming of happiness in the future  life. She has freedom to set her life.

This character is explained in 3^rd paragraph “Mrs. Mallard knows that she will mourn her loving husband's death, but she also predicts many years of freedom, which she welcomes. She begins planning her future, in which she will live without the burden of other people. She loved her husband, more or less, but love is nothing to her when compared to independence, she decides, as she murmurs, "Free! Body and soul are free!"

B.     Mr. Brently Mallard is the husband of Louise Mallard.

Characteristics:

1.      Flat character. This character is presented only briefly and not in depth, he only comes by the end of story “At this moment, Brently Mallard comes in the front door, having been nowhere near the train disaster. Richards moves in front of him to hide him from seeing his wife when she cries out. By the time the doctors arrive, she has died from "heart disease," purportedly from "the joy that kills."

Instead, we can know about his character from the reaction of other people when know he was death. His friend Richard directly comes to Mallard’s home to inform his death to Mrs. Mallard. It means that Mr. Mallard is Kindhearten-man so his friend Richard help him.

C.    Josephine is Louise's sister.

Characteristics:

a.      Gently woman. This character introduced in 1^st “Mrs Mallard's sister Josephine gently inform the weak-hearted Mrs. Mallard of Brently's death Josephine asks Mrs. Mallard to let her enter because she is afraid that the grieving widow will make herself ill”.

4. Richards is Mr. Mallard's friend and is the first person to hear of Brently.

Characteristics:

a.      Care and kind man. This characters introduced in 1^st paragraph “Upon hearing the news of Brently Mallard's tragic railroad accident death in the newspaper office, his friend Richards rushes to the Mallards' house, where he and Mrs. Mallard's sister Josephine gently inform the weak-hearted Mrs. Mallard of Brently's death”.

The moral massage: Freedom is human right in all around the world but the main point of this story is how to realize that balance between freedom and duties is more important of all.