Question

2. The setting of the story is very limited; it is confined largely to a room, a staircase, and a front

Answer 1

Answer: The limited set of the story may be viewed in relation to the trials and tribulations that Mrs. Mallard possibly endured throughout her marriage to Brently Mallard.  The staircase may signify the “ups and downs” encountered by Mrs. Mallard; it could also represent her path to freedom as she walks toward them to descend to victory.  The room could represent the “box” encapsulating a person that suffers from depression or anxiety, with the window located inside the room representing the happiness that seems unattainable even though it is visible.  I could equate the door to a possible exit from the situation or an object, whether physical or mental, that kept Mrs. Mallard “locked in” and unable to reach the happiness that waited outside.  I was able to associate the set to the apparent despair, excitement and eventual heart-break that was experienced by Mrs. Mallard as she learned of her husband’s death, into the jubilation of being “free” and finally to her demise as she watched her husband walk through the door