Story Of An Hour

“The Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin, takes place in the 1800’s. It tells the story of Mrs. Mallard and how she reacted to the news of her husband’s death. Mrs. Mallard, when first faced with the news, was drawn into herself in a state of self-reflection. It was during the self-reflection that she realized she was free from the burdens of having a husband. This realization filled her with great joy, and it was this same joy that led to her death. When she finally emerged from her room, she collapsed onto her sister due to her weak heart. The initial reaction to the story is one of confusion. Typically, a wife is filled with grieve when their husband dies, but Mrs. Mallard was rejoicing at the prospects of living life by herself. One is led to believe that Mrs. Mallard was not in love with her husband. This could possibly be due to the time period from which the story is written. Mrs. Mallard was most coerced into the marriage and felt bound to live up the expectations of the marriage. As such, she felt trapped in her own life and her husband’s death provided a way out. The time period of the story also contributes to her death. Medicine in the 1800’s was perhaps not advanced enough to effectively care for heart disease, and the joy felt by Mrs. Mallard compounded the
In the “The Lottery”, the people of the village honor a tradition that began when village was founded. It has been in place so long that no one can recall how the tradition originated. The lottery within “The Lottery” is one of fatal consequences. The “winner” of the lottery is stoned to death. This tradition is upheld due to the superstitions associated with the lottery. Without the lottery, the people of the village believe that come harvest time, there would not be sufficient crops to feed