The Story of an Hour - Differences Between Men and WomenKate Chopin's Story of an Hour simply seems to explore a woman's unpredictable reaction to her husband's supposed death and reappearance, but in reality Chopin offers the bizarre story of Mrs. Mallard to reveal the problems inherent in the institution of marriage. By proposing this representation of a marriage which suffocates the woman to the point that she celebrates the death of her caring and loving husband. Chopin challenges his readers to examine their own views of marriage and relationships between men and women. Each reader's judgment of Mrs. Mallard and her behavior inevitably arises from their own personal feelings toward marriage and the influences of societal expectations. Readers of different genders, ages, and marital experiences are therefore likely to respond differently to Chopin's vivid portrayal of the Mallards' marriage, and this is certainly true of my response to the story compared to the responses of my father and grandmother. mother. boundaries between people that prevent them from communicating with each other. The Mallards' marriage was clearly crippled both by their inability to talk to each other and by Mrs. Mallard's belief that her marriage was defined by a "powerful will which bends hers into that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have the right to impose a right. private will over a fellow human being. Yet it fails to recognize that it is not just men who impose their will on women and that the problems inherent in marriage affect men and women equally. To me, Mrs. Mallard is a somewhat sympathetic character, and I appreciate her desire to live here... middle of this paper... where we more easily understand her plight and are quicker to exonerate her what is happening. responsibility for his unfortunate situation. Conversely, male readers are more likely to feel compassion for Mr. Mallard, who loses his wife for reasons that will always remain completely unknown to him. Older readers probably more easily understand the strength of social forces and the difficulty of attempting to negate societal expectations regarding gender roles in general and marriage in particular. Younger readers seem to think that Mrs. Mallard is too passive and that she could have greatly improved her domestic life if she had taken the initiative to improve or end her relationship with her husband. Ultimately, the way each reader responds to Mrs. Mallard's story reveals their own ideas about marriage, society, and the way men and women communicate with each other..