"The Story of an Hour" a short story by Kate Chopin begins by explaining that Mrs. Mallard, an elderly lady, has heart trouble and the family is trying to give her some bad news in a way not cause any more trauma to her heart. Her husband works with the railroad and there was big accident and on the top of the list of presumed dead was Brently Mallard her husband. Mrs. Mallard shows signs of being upset and then locks herself upstairs in a room so no one can help her. While in her room she sees a joy in front of her, like the biggest burden of her life has been taken away. She repeats "free, free, free" and thought about the joys of not being a possession of her husband. She would weep when seeing him in the casket, because she did love him once and spent most of her life with him. When Mrs. Mallard collected herself she decided to go downstairs with everyone else. Then a latchkey is herd being inserted and the front door opens as Mr. Mallard walks in confused and distressed. Mrs. Mallard faints and is presumed dead of a joy that kills. Mrs. Mallard dies when seeing her husband because she wants to be free one way or another. The shock of seeing her husband alive was too much for her troubled heart. Mrs. Mallard's heart got the best of her in the end. She was "Free! Body and soul free!"