The Story of an Hour Characters

The characters in "The Story of an Hour" are faced with a tragic situation, and we see how they all react. Here's a brief overview of characters, with questions related to characterization.

• Louise Mallard (Mrs. Mallard): In the story, Kate Chopin refers to her by her married name. She has "heart trouble." She shuts herself up in her room when she is told that her husband is dead.
• Beyond the obvious denotation of "heart trouble," what could that mean in the context of Mrs. Mallard's love life/relationship with her husband?
  
  
• What was the "something coming to her"?
  
  



• Brently Mallard (Mr. Mallard): Married to Mrs. Mallard, he is believed to be involved in a train accident.
• Josephine: Mrs. Mallard's sister. Josephine tells her sister that Brently Mallard is dead. Josephine held her sister while she wept "with sudden, wild abandonment." She expresses concern for her sister when Mrs. Mallard retreats to her own room.
  
  
• Richards: Brently Mallard's friend. He was in the newspaper office when the news of the train accident arrived. After confirming the news, he went to Mrs. Mallard's house to pass on the news.