The Story of an Hour

Situational Irony refers to story events that unfold in the opposite way that a reader expects. In “The Story of an Hour,” Chopin uses situational irony to deliver a twist ending that emphasizes her themes. At the beginning of the story, Chopin leads the reader to expect that Louise is in danger because the news of her husband’s death may fatally aggravate her heart condition. Chopin also has Louise react initially with the grief that her readers and the other characters expect. Chopin then subverts expectations by having Louise experience happiness and freedom as a result of her husband’s death; the narrative momentum of the story becomes defined by the tension between Louise’s true feelings and societal expectations. Instead of damaging Louise’s heart, these feelings cause her heart to beat more strongly. Chopin delivers another twist when Brently unexpectedly returns home, very much alive. What should be a joyful occasion becomes a threatening one to Louise. The very situation that Richards and Josephine try to prevent at the beginning of the story—that Louise’s heart will fail due to extreme emotion—comes true after all. In the end, Louise does die of a broken heart—but because her husband lives, not because he dies.