. In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, what is the most likely reason that Chopin refers to the main character as Mrs. Mall
ard rather than using her first name? to keep a distance between the reader and the character to show Mrs. Mallard’s loss of an independent identity in marriage to remind the reader of Mrs. Mallard’s elevated social class to reinforce the ideals of nineteenth-century America
To show Mrs. Mallard’s loss of an independent identity in marriage.
Explanation:
"The Story of an Hour" is a story about a woman who feels trapped in her marriage. Although she does not consider herself an unhappy person, the sense of liberation she feels at finding out she is left without a husband indicates how unbearable marriage was for her, and how she suffered from a complete lack of liberty. The fact that Mrs. Mallard is only known through this name reinforces the idea that she has no individual identity within her marriage.
