Irony

How do you define "irony"? Do you feel that it is present in Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour"?

In my own words, I believe that Irony is something ironic in the reading. It is what the author makes the reader believe will happen and the unexpected occurs during the end. The outcome of the story changes completely towards the end. Something that the author has intended to do. In the story " The story of an hour" by Kate Chopin, it definitely does present Irony very well. In the beginning she makes everyone believe that Mrs. Mallard's husband, Brently Mallard; has passed away due to an accidednt that many have died in. The news was spread and reach Mrs. Mallard. We're thereby expected to feel pity and see how it has affected her. As we keep on reading things start to change and Mrs. Mallard actually seems more at peace with herself.

They describe what she starts going through and how she feels about it. At first she is upset and can't really handle the news to well, so she goes up to her room and locks herself in there. She opens up the window and starts to look outside and starts to think. Here we start getting the image that she is in peace. It makes it seem that she has finally been freed and has let go of all that weight she's been carrying for years. It is all going good until the end where we hear about her husband coming home and not aware of the accident in which everyone believed he was involved in. As Mrs. Mallard sees him it's too late for the both of them. Mrs. Mallard ends up dying instead of Brently Mallard. A definite unexpected outcome from the author to the reader.