The image is startling: a grieving widow looks out the window and smiles with hope in her eyes and the sounds of sparrows in her ears. While she does feel the loss of her husband, this loss is overshadowed by the realization that she can start a new and independent life, and this makes her feel exalted. In the short story, "Story of an Hour," Kate Chopin shows Mrs. Mallard looking outside her open window, seeing new horizons before her, sensing victory within her grasp, and a promise of an unlimited future. The author portrays a setting of bright springtime images to show that Mrs. Mallard felt free after the news of her husband. On the surface, she seemed sad, but Chopin shows a woman who rejoices in her freedom. By doing this, the author illustrates how, with the death of a spouse, people...