Question

Benjamin Franklin said, "Be assured, a Woman's Power, as well as Happiness, has no other Foundation but her Husband's Esteem and Love." Based on her thinking after learning of her husband's death, how would Mrs. Mallard in "The Story of an Hour" have responded to Franklin's idea? Use evidence from the story to support your conclusion.

Answer 1

In this quote, Benjamin Franklin expresses the view that a woman has no other purpose except making her husband happy, and that her ultimate happiness lies in knowing he loves her. If this were true, we would assume that a woman who is left alone would have no more reason to live, let alone to be happy. This is the complete opposite of what happens to Mrs. Mallard. Mrs. Mallard feels trapped in a loveless marriage, until her husband passes away. Although at first she is shocked, she soon realizes that now she is free, and she feels as if her life was only now beginning. Therefore, her situation proves the falsehood of Franklin's assessment.

Answer 2

In “The Story of an Hour” Louise Mallard is the protagonist who suffers in a marriage she is not happy with. Different from Benjamin Franklin’s assumption, when her husband dies in a train accident she cries of course, but later she notices that she is free from her marriage and now she has a will to live.

Her marriage made her so miserable she wanted to die and once she is freed from it she desires to live she even screams “free, free, free!” (262).  So you can assume that the character would not agree with Franklin’s thoughts.