Question

By the end of "The Story of an Hour", Mrs. Mallard's reflection that she had been recently wished for a short life becomes especially ironic to readers because

a. the reader knows that she still wants her life to be short.
b. she ends up having a short life.
c. the reader sees her as a less worthy person than her husband.
d. she has too much intensity of feeling to wish for a short life.

Answer 1

Mrs. Mallard's reflection on wishing for a short life is ironic because she actually dies shortly after gaining a desire to live for herself, revealing the unpredictable nature of life and the consequences of true freedom.

Step-by-step explanation:

By the end of "The Story of an Hour", Mrs. Mallard's reflection that she had been recently wished for a short life becomes especially ironic to readers because b. she ends up having a short life. This is due to the unexpected turn of events where her husband, who was thought to be dead, appears alive which shockingly leads to her sudden death. The earlier wish for a short life contrasts sharply with her newfound desire to live for herself after she believes herself to be free from her marriage. Yet, in a tragic twist of fate, her life is cut short, illustrating a key example of irony used by the author to convey the unexpected outcomes of life and the fragile nature of freedom and happiness.