According to those who knew her best, Kate Chopin wrote her stories quickly and made very few revisions. Because she had such a large family and she was their primary caregiver, Chopin's time for writing was very limited. Perhaps because of these restrictions, Chopin's writing style is clear, concise, and always headed towards an important conclusion. Read the first two paragraphs of "The Story of an Hour" below, and see if you can guess where the story is going.
Knowing 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 was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing. Her husband's friend Richards was there, too, near her. It was he who had been in the newspaper office when intelligence of the railroad disaster was received, with Brently Mallard's name leading the list of "killed." He had only taken the time to assure himself of its truth by a second telegram, and had hastened to forestall any less careful, less tender friend in bearing the sad message.
Question
What can readers infer about Mrs. Mallard's personality and reputation from the first two paragraphs?
Question
Based on what you've read about Chopin so far, what prediction might you make about Mrs. Mallard's immediate future?
