ion no longer existed. I believe this caused her to feel very alone and restless in her marriage. In the late nineteenth century, women basically had little or no rights. It was thought that womens sole purpose in society was to marry, have children, and to care for their family and household. Women of this era were not allowed to satisfy their own wants and desires. Therefore, we can assume that Mrs. Mallard got married at a young age. This fact, along with the crumbling of her marriage caused her to feel lost in a world where she knew not even herself. The fact that she was unable to experience life for herself resulted in her yearning desire for independence. These explanations contributed to Mrs. Mallards overwhelming enjoyment of her newfound freedom.I know how it is to feel trapped in a relationship that is going bad. One feels there is no reasonable way out; this can cause a person to become lonely and impatient for independence. The fact that I have experienced a similar situation enables me to relate to the character of Mrs. Mallard and can justify the feelings of sympathy and compassion I have towards her. In addition, I know how exciting it is to be able to experience life, adventures, and independence. In this way, I understand Mrs. Mallards irrepressible feeling of joy at her newfound liberation. On the other hand, I feel that the instant happiness that Mrs. Mallard finds in her husbands death is disturbing. This instant joy portrays the character of Mrs. Mallard as insensitive, selfish, and cowardly. The fact that Mrs. Mallard spent no more than a few moments mourning the presumed death of her husband depicts her character as heartless. She almost instantly converts her train of thought from mourning the death of her husband to rejoicing in her new life and newfound freedom. This conversion of thought shows the selfish aspect of her character. The fact Mrs. Mallard did not try to work out her problems with h...
