The Story of an Hour

In “The Story of an Hour,” how does Mrs. Mallard react initially to the news of her husband’s death?

• with a paralyzed inability to accept its meaning

• with a sigh and a dull stare in her eyes

• with sudden, wild weeping

• with a shriek of joy and relief

Which of the following best expresses the themes of Kate

Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”?

• Unhappy marriages are all too common.

• Nineteenth-century marriages were often oppressive to women.

• Taking joy in the death of a spouse is immoral.

• Society once punished women for contemplating independence.

In “The Story of an Hour,” how does Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to the news of her husband’s death change after she has sat alone for a while?

• She begins to feel calm acceptance of her loss.

• She begins to feel bitter sorrow over her loss.

• She begins to feel growing joy about her freedom.

• She begins to feel growing dismay about her debts.

Which event leads most directly to the conclusion of “The Story of an Hour”?

• Mr. Mallard, who has been traveling, is killed in a railroad disaster.

• Richards tells Mrs. Mallard that her husband has been killed in a railroad disaster.

• Mrs. Mallard wishes Mr. Mallard had been killed in a railroad disaster.

• Mr. Mallard returns home alive, having been nowhere near the railroad

  disaster.

In “The Story of an Hour,” what can you infer about Mrs. Mallard’s feelings for her husband?

• She has conflicting feelings.

• She is fiercely angry at him.

• She clearly dislikes him.

• She clearly dislikes him.