The Story of an Hour MCQ Practice

In the opening paragraph, the author's description of Mrs. Mallard's heart trouble primarily serves to:

• Foreshadow the story's tragic ending

• Emphasize Mrs. Mallard's fragile health

• Suggest Mrs. Mallard's emotional sensitivity

• Establish a somber tone for the narrative

The narrator describes Mrs. Mallard's initial reaction to the news of her husband's death as:

• Prolonged and hysterical

• Calm and controlled

• Sudden and intense, but brief

• Nonexistent due to shock

The description of the "new spring life" outside Mrs. Mallard's window most likely functions to:

• Contrast with Mrs. Mallard's grief

• Symbolize the new life awaiting Mrs. Mallard

• Represent the passage of time

• Emphasize the beauty of the natural world

The repetition of the word "free" in the passage primarily serves to convey:

• Mrs. Mallard's relief at her husband's death

• The oppressive nature of Mrs. Mallard's marriage

• Sudden realization of newfound independence

• Mrs. Mallard's desire to leave her home

The phrase "she was striving to beat it back with her will" most likely refers to:

• Mrs. Mallard's attempt to suppress her grief

• The futility of resisting her emerging feelings

• Her struggle against societal expectations

• An internal conflict about her marriage

The author's use of the phrase "monstrous joy" to describe Mrs. Mallard's emotions serves to:

• Criticize Mrs. Mallard's reaction

• Highlight the complexity of her emotions

• Suggest Mrs. Mallard's mental instability

• Foreshadow her imminent death

Throughout the story, marriage is portrayed primarily as:

• A source of comfort and stability

• An outdated social convention

• A constraint on personal freedom

• A necessary evil in society

The line "She did not stop to ask if it were or were not a monstrous joy that held her" suggests that:

• Mrs. Mallard feels guilty about her emotions

• She feels triumphant but doesn't fully realize it

• She is confused about her true feelings

• Mrs. Mallard is experiencing a mental breakdown

The final line of the story, "when the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease—of joy that kills," is an example of:

• Dramatic irony

• Verbal irony

• Situational irony

• Cosmic irony

The author's overall tone towards Mrs. Mallard can best be described as:

• Critical and judgmental

• Sympathetic and understanding

• Neutral and detached

• Mocking and sarcastic