This narrative technique adds a tinge of irony to the story. The story ends with a reverse version of its beginning. The narrative skip in time also creates an element of surprise, because the reader doesn’t expect Louise to be dead or her husband to be alive. Moreover, it reflects the fleeting, fickle nature of time and reality. This sudden revelation also represents characteristics of realism. Like other realist works, the story does not have a sentimental or idealized ending. Instead, the reader is left thinking that there are no guarantees in real life, appearances can be deceptive, and nothing lasts forever.
Upon learning of the death of her husband in "The Story of an Hour," Louise is initially overcome with emotion, and she cries violently. In her upstairs room, Louise recognizes that she is free from Brently's suffocating presence and society's oppressive conventions, which fills her with a sense of joy and hope of a better future. Louise is then overcome with despair when she discovers that Brently is alive and that her future as an independent woman is completely shattered.
