The Story
of an Hour
by Kate Chopin
Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death. It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing. Her husband’s friend Richards was there, too, near her. It was he who had been in the newspaper office when intelligence of the railroad disaster was received, with Brently Mallard’s name leading the list of “killed.” He had only taken the time to assure himself of its truth by a second telegram and had
Use the text of “The Story of an Hour” to answer the question.
How does the story’s end contribute to the overall structure of the story?
a. Mrs. Mallard’s surprising death at the end of the story brings the two-part structure to a tragic close.
b. The story’s surprising ending gives the story a three�part structure that explores the distinction between Mrs.
Mallard’s public persona and private emotions.
c. Mrs. Mallard’s unexplained death at the end of the story concludes the story’s three�part structure by creating more
questions than answers.