The short story by Kate Chopin relates the story of a young woman Josephine’s reaction
to the supposedly death of her husband. The story implies the true feelings of the woman
towards her husband after learning of his death.
One might not necessarily believe that she had all those feelings hidden inside her.
Kate Chopin uses different forms of irony throughout her story to make us understand what is
really going on in the story.
The news of the death was told by Josephine’s sister and Richard who was her husband’s friend
was also near her when she learned of the news. The author used some verbal irony in the
story. The quote from the story when it’s told that Richard had only taken the time to assure
himself of its truth by a second telegram, and had hastened to forestall any less careful, less
tender friend in bearing the message. This quote implies that Richard who was considered as
Mr. Mallard’s friend was not very fond of his character and that he only reassured himself of
the death because in a way he was a little happy about it. Also, Kate Chopin explains in the
story that Josephine did not hear the story of her husband’s death as many women have heard
the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance. This irony implies that Josephine
did not take the news as most women would if told of their husbands’ death.
The death of her husband actually brought her some type of joy because she kept uttering the
words “Free, free, free” and also mentioned to her sister who was worried about her being
locked in the room by herself by saying “Go away. I am not making myself ill”. This is merely
irony that she used there because she was in fact happy about her husband’s death, but she
could not make the others see the joy that she was feeling.
Another form of irony used in this short story is a situational irony because nor the character or
the reader expect the outcome of the story. When Josephine came out of the room and went
downstairs with her sister there was some sense of freedom that she felt, as though her life will