Question

In the story of an hour by kate chopin, mrs. mallards initial reaction to her husbands death is grief. what is the first indication that mrs. mallard has had a change of heart about her husbands death?

Answer 1

Mrs.Mallard's reaction to her husband's death changes to happiness. This happens at the part when she is in her bedroom, looking outside the window. She came to a sudden realization that she's free and can do whatever she wants.

Answer 2

When she realizes that she is finally free, silently exclaiming under her breath "free, free, free!" shows the moment she had a change of heart.

Step-by-step explanation:

Mrs. Mallard at first seems taken aback and shocked to hear of her husband's death from her sister. But after a while, that feeling of grief changes to something that was even unexpected by her. She felt a sense of freedom and release from a controlling, dominant hand that he used to exert over her during their times together. The first indication of this change in the reaction is evident in the lines "She said it over and over under her breath: "free, free, free!", suggestive of the fact that she feels free and finally able to be rid of his "powerful will bending hers".