The Story of The Restraints of Patriarchy

     As I worked on my essay last week, the idea of freedom was interesting to me. The women who lived in the 1800s were trapped in their marriages. They couldn't divorce and they couldn't go off on their own due to the social restraints at the time. Thinking about Mrs. Mallard's reaction to her husband's death, it makes sense why she was so happy. It might have seemed like a shock to men reading the story, but for women, I believe it was a piece of escapism. Mrs. Mallard's sentiments about being on her own and living for herself most likely appealed to a lot of women in her same position. Perhaps many women before had looked out a window much like Mrs. Mallard's and longed for the rush of liberation that being on their own would bring. The Story of An Hour shows how restricting patriarchy really is, where the only outcome you can look forward to is death.

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