The Story of the Hour, by Kate Chopin, is about a woman who struggles against the oppression caused by her husband and her secret desire for freedom. Mrs. Mallard does not know how unhappy she truly is until she is told that he died in a train accident. The story is limited to a third-person point of view, but is not without drama thanks to the structure and style of Chopin's writing. Her theme of oppression is revealed through the irony of the story, in which she discovers a sense of freedom soon after her husband's death. Chopin uses symbolism to emphasize this newfound feeling. It is very easy to identify with the protagonist, Mrs. Louise Mallard. The structure and style that Chopin uses in The Story of the Hour is used to exaggerate the drama of what is happening. Use very short paragraphs, most of which are only two or three sentences a piece. The story is about the time after Louise finds out that her husband has died. She quickly takes us from a morning state to a place where she realizes she is “free” from her husband's bondage. The structure of the story reflects the intensity of the emotions it displays. The length of the story leaves no room for prolonged exposition, we quickly pivot from that to the climax and end just as quickly after that. There is a lot of repetition throughout the story, which she uses to underline the importance of certain points she raises. The word “open” is used repeatedly throughout the story, “open window” (69), “open square” (69). “he opened and spread out his arms” (69) and many others. He also repeats the word "free", "Free! Free body and soul!" (69). He also repeats phrases like “this could be long” like when he says “He said a short prayer so that… in the middle of the paper… he doesn't seem like a bad guy, he's the antagonist in the story. He is the character that prevents Mrs. Mallard from living the life she dreams of. It is Mr. Mallard's gifts that end up killing his wife. We can only speculate that the real cause of Mrs. Mallard's death was the thought of having to live the life she once led. Although The Story Of An Hour is very short, it is very powerful. I imagine there were many women in the 1800s who wondered what life would be like if there were no husbands. Although Mrs. Mallard is treated as if she is weak due to her heart condition, she has a strong character. I think women in today's world can also relate to this story in some way, which is why it has stood the test of time.