Analysis of Literary Techniques

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Foreshadowing- Kate Chopin does a great job of incorporating the foreshadowing technique in "The Story of an Hour". The heart is a very important symbol from "The Story of An Hour".   From the opening line of the story, the reader finds out that "Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death." It is quite evident that the heart troubles would end up playing a major role during the story since it was in the first line.  As the foreshadowing proved itself, Mrs. Mallard died at the end of the story after suffering a heart attack when her husband walked through the door.

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The window/door- Chopin also does an awesome job of using the window and the door as a literary technique.  Once hearing the news of her husband's death, Louise stormed up to her room in what seemed like a response to her anger and sadness.  Once she has entered her bedroom though, the reader quickly realizes that this is not the case.  The open window she sees in her room is a symbol of freedom for herself.  As she moves towards the open window which is a symbol for her freedom to live for herself, she feels the sense of freshness and a new start.  Although she can see her freedom and joy out the window, there is no way for her to get there unless she goes out the front door into the world so she is not quite free yet.  Her feelings of happiness and joy subside when Brently Mallard walks into the doorway which cause her to have a heart attack from the loss of the feeling of freedom. Louise's life left her as quickly as she lost her freedom.