The Story of an Hour

By Kate Chopin Answer ALL PARTS of the questions! 1. How does Mrs. Mallard first react to the news her sister tells her? What does her reaction seem to indicate about her feelings for her husband? 2. Summarize what happens while Mrs. Mallard is in her room. How do her feelings change? Why, do you think, does she fear this change at first but later she welcomes it? 3. What words does the narrator use to describe Mrs. Mallards appearance and behavior as she leaves her room? Based on this description, what might you infer about her attitude and outlook? 4. What happens to Mrs. Mallard at the end of the story? Do you agree with the explanation the doctors give? Why or why not? 5. What is your opinion of Mrs. Mallards character? Explain. 6. Dramatic Irony occurs when the reader knows something that the characters in a literary work do not. How does the dramatic irony in the last paragraph add to your understanding and appreciation of the story? 7. Have you ever experienced a feeling of great reliefa moment when you suddenly felt very free and unburdened? Take a minute and write about a time when you felt as though the weight of the world had just been lifted from your shoulders. What caused you to feel this way? How long did this feeling last? 8. Compare and contrast Mrs. Mallards experience with your own experience from #8. Were your feelings and reactions similar or different? Can you sympathize with her or not?

9. This story takes place more than a century ago, at a time when most American women lived very restricted lives. Would this story be believable if it were set in the present? Why or why not? The plot is the series of events in a story. The events of a story develop its central conflict, or struggle between opposing forces. When a character struggles against an outside force, the conflict is external; when a character experiences a struggle inside his or her own mind, the conflict is internal. 10. What is the central conflict in The Story of an Hour? 11. Is this conflict internal, external, or both? Explain.

12. Identify the climax. Do you think the story might have two climaxes? 13. How does the resolution of the story help you better understand the storys theme or message? Label the chart below with the events from the story:

16. Climax: 15. Rising Action: 17. Falling Action:

14. Exposition:

18. Resolution: