The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin: Summary, SSC Questions & Answers
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Mrs. Mallard had a heart problem. One day, her sister Josephine and her husband's friend Richards told her that her husband, Brently Mallard, had died in a railway accident. Mrs. Mallard cried and then went alone to her room.
Sitting near an open window, she slowly realized that her husband's death would give her freedom. She could now live for herself and make her own decisions. She repeatedly whispered, “Free, free, free!” She became happy and hoped to live a long life.
After some time, she came downstairs with her sister. Suddenly, the front door opened and Brently Mallard entered. He was actually alive because he had been far away from the accident and knew nothing about it.
When Mrs. Mallard saw her husband alive, she collapsed and died. The doctors said that she died of heart disease, “of joy that kills.”
এসএসসি ২০২৬-এ সকল বোর্ডে আসা প্রশ্নোত্তরসমূহ
- Who had brought the news of Mr. Brently Mallard's death?
Answer: The sad news was brought to Mrs. Mallard by her sister Josephine and her husband's friend Richards. Richards had first heard the news in a newspaper office.
- How did Mr. Mallard die, according to the rumour?
Answer: According to the rumor, Mr. Mallard died in a terrible railroad disaster. His name was listed among the killed at the newspaper office.
- Why was everyone scared of breaking the news to Mrs. Mallard?
Answer: Everyone was scared because Mrs. Mallard suffered from a painful heart trouble. They feared that the sudden shock of her husband's death would kill her.
- What was the condition of Mrs. Mallard when she heard about her husband's death?
Answer: She was instantly heartbroken and cried wildly in her sister's arms. Afterward, she went straight to her room to be completely alone in her sadness.
- Why do you think Mrs. Mallard felt happy and free?
Answer: She felt happy because she realized she would now be independent and live only for herself. There would be no husband to control her life anymore.
- Why was Mrs. Mallard whispering "free, free, free!" in "The Story of an Hour"?
Answer: She whispered this because she felt a wonderful sense of absolute freedom. She knew that both her body and soul were finally her own.
- What did Mrs. Mallard's physical appearance suggest about her personality?
Answer: Her fair, calm face and lines on her skin showed strength and repression. It suggested that she was a strong woman who had been quietly holding back her true feelings.
- What was Mrs. Mallard's reaction when her husband entered the house?
Answer: She was shocked to see him alive because she believed he was dead. The sudden shock of his return caused her to collapse.
- What happened to Mrs. Mallard at the end of the story?
Answer: At the end of the story, Mrs. Mallard suddenly died of a heart attack.
- Why did Mrs. Mallard die at the end of the story "The Story of an Hour"?
Answer: She died because of the sudden shock and disappointment of seeing her husband alive. The doctors ironically claimed she died of "the joy that kills".
Questions with Answers for SSC 2027
- Who was Josephine?
Answer: Josephine was Mrs. Mallard's sister. - Who was Richards?
Answer: Richards was Mr. Mallard's friend. - Where was Richards when he first heard the news?
Answer: Richards was at a newspaper office when he first heard the news. - Why did Richards check the news of Mr. Mallard's death?
Answer: He checked the news to make sure that it was true before telling Mrs. Mallard. - Where did Mrs. Mallard go after crying?
Answer: She went to her room and stayed there alone. - What could Mrs. Mallard see through the open window?
Answer: She could see trees, blue sky and the fresh signs of spring. - What sounds did Mrs. Mallard hear from outside?
Answer: She heard a peddler's voice, a distant song and the twittering of sparrows. - What did Mrs. Mallard first feel when she was alone in her room?
Answer: At first, she felt sad, tired and confused. - What did Mrs. Mallard slowly realize in her room?
Answer: She slowly realized that her husband's death could give her a new life of freedom. - What kind of life did Mrs. Mallard imagine after her husband's death?
Answer: She imagined a long life in which she could live for herself. - Why did Mrs. Mallard want to live for herself?
Answer: She wanted to make her own decisions without anyone controlling her. - Did Mrs. Mallard hate her husband?
Answer: No. She had loved him sometimes, but often she had not. - What did Mrs. Mallard think about love?
Answer: She thought that love was a difficult mystery and less important than her newly found freedom. - Why did Josephine beg Mrs. Mallard to open the door?
Answer: Josephine was worried that Mrs. Mallard might become ill because of her heart problem. - How did Mrs. Mallard feel while looking through the open window?
Answer: She felt a new sense of freedom and hope for the future. - What did Mrs. Mallard pray for?
Answer: She prayed that she might have a long life. - How did Mrs. Mallard look when she came out of her room?
Answer: She looked excited and victorious, as if she were a goddess of victory. - Why was Brently Mallard still alive?
Answer: Brently Mallard was alive because he had been far away from the railway accident. - What did Richards try to do when Brently Mallard entered?
Answer: Richards tried to hide Brently from Mrs. Mallard to protect her from the shock. - What is the main theme of “The Story of an Hour”?
Answer: The main theme is freedom, independence and the desire to live one's own life.
Full Story:
The Story of an Hour
Kate Chopin
Knowing that Mrs. Mallard had a heart problem, everyone was very careful when they told her about her husband's death.
Her sister Josephine told her the news in broken sentences and with gentle hints, trying not to shock her. Her husband's friend Richards was also there. He had been at the newspaper office when the news of the railway accident arrived, and Brently Mallard's name was at the top of the list of those who had been killed. Richards had quickly confirmed the news by receiving a second telegram. Then he had hurried to tell the sad news before someone less careful could do it.
Mrs. Mallard did not react to the news in the usual way. She did not remain unable to understand what had happened. Instead, she immediately began to cry with great emotion in her sister's arms. When her first wave of grief had passed, she went alone to her room. She did not want anyone to follow her.
In her room, there was a large and comfortable armchair facing an open window. She sank into the chair because she was physically exhausted, and the tiredness seemed to affect both her body and her mind.
Through the open window, she could see the tops of trees moving in the fresh spring air. She could smell the pleasant scent of rain. A peddler was calling out his goods in the street below. She could faintly hear someone singing in the distance, while many sparrows were twittering under the roofs.
Here and there, she could see patches of blue sky through the clouds that had gathered in the west in front of her window. She sat with her head resting against the cushion of the chair. She remained almost completely still, except when a sob rose from her throat and shook her body, like a child who continues to sob in sleep after crying itself to sleep.
She was young and had a fair, calm face. Her face showed that she had lived under control and had developed a certain inner strength. But now her eyes had a dull expression. She looked at one of the patches of blue sky without really thinking about anything.
She felt that something was coming towards her, and she waited for it with fear. She did not know what it was because it was too difficult to describe. But she could feel it coming through the sky, the sounds, the smells and the colors around her.
Her chest began to rise and fall quickly. She started to understand what was coming to take control of her. She tried to resist it with all her will, but her will was as weak as her small, white hands.
When she finally gave in to the feeling, a quiet word escaped from her slightly open lips. She whispered again and again, “Free, free, free!”
The empty and frightened look disappeared from her eyes. Her eyes became bright and clear. Her heartbeat became faster, and warm blood seemed to flow through and relax her whole body.
She did not stop to think whether this feeling of joy was wrong or unnatural. A clear understanding of her situation made such a thought seem unimportant.
She knew that she would cry again when she saw her husband's dead body, his kind hands folded in death and his loving face becoming pale and lifeless. But beyond that painful moment, she could see many years ahead that would belong completely to her. She welcomed those coming years with open arms.
During those years, she would not have to live for anyone else. She would live for herself. No one would have a powerful will controlling her and forcing her to accept another person's wishes. Whether a person's intention was kind or cruel, she now felt that forcing one's will upon another person was wrong.
She had loved her husband sometimes, but often she had not. However, she did not think it mattered anymore. Love was a difficult mystery, but her newly discovered desire for freedom and independence was much stronger.
Again and again, she whispered, “Free! Body and soul free!”
Outside the closed door, Josephine knelt and begged her sister to let her in. She put her lips close to the keyhole and said, “Louise, open the door! Please open the door. You will make yourself ill. What are you doing, Louise? For heaven's sake, open the door.”
Louise replied, “Go away. I am not making myself ill.” She felt that she was receiving new life from the fresh air coming through the open window.
Her imagination began to think about the days ahead. She imagined spring days, summer days and many other days that would belong entirely to her. She prayed that her life would be long. Only the previous day, she had thought with fear that her life might be long.
At last, she stood up and opened the door because of her sister's repeated requests. Her eyes showed a kind of excited victory, and without realizing it, she carried herself like a goddess of victory. She put her arm around her sister's waist, and together they went downstairs.
Richards was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs.
At that moment, someone opened the front door with a key. It was Brently Mallard. He entered calmly, carrying his small travel bag and umbrella. His clothes were slightly dirty from travelling. He had been far away from the place where the railway accident had happened, and he did not even know that an accident had occurred.
He was surprised by Josephine's loud cry. Richards quickly moved to prevent Brently from being seen by Louise.
But Richards was too late.
When the doctors arrived, they said that Mrs. Mallard had died from heart disease, “of joy that kills.”
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