"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin: Irony

       In "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin,  Mrs. Mallard's personality is described through irony and the tone for the short story is also set.  The first irony of the story is when Mrs. Mallard is described as to having "heart trouble" (Chopin, 1).  She not only has physical heart trouble but she also has heart trouble with her husband.  She does not love him but she states that " '...she had loved him--sometimes,' " (Chopin, 2).  But, she is not completely upset that he is dead; she is also happy to be free.  At the end of the short story another irony is her own death at the sight of her alive husband.  Her untimely demise is not expected, but does not evoke pity for Mrs. Mallard, from the reader.  This also ties in the irony from the beginning about her heart trouble.  The irony of her death was that, " 'When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease--of joy that kills,' " (Chopin, 2).  The doctors thought that she was so happy she died but in reality the reader knows that she may have felt guilty or been very upset by his appearance.  The irony of their belief that it was joy contrasts with the truth that she was not happy.