Stress is the common side effect of these events as well as the leading cause of death in women. This stress is represented in Chopin's The Story of an Hour by Mrs. Mallard falling to her death due to the stress of having to live with her feared husband for many long years, as well as the extra stress of "death" added to her. heart condition. This stress is often overlooked by society and untreated, which can lead to a larger disorder that can cause suicidal thoughts. Couples today say that “When couples relationships are under stress, partners begin to distance themselves physically and emotionally from each other.” (“Couples” issue of Visions Journal (4), p. 5) This ties in closely with Mrs. Mallard and Bentley because, it appears to the audience that Mallard is under stress from not actually having a life although he is unaware of these feelings until her husband's death. This mental instability made Mrs. Mallard feel like she has no thoughts or anything because her husband is seen as the negative antagonist in the story in Mrs. Mallard's eyes, which can be interpreted to the audience by the tone and irony . towards his