Crafting Louise Mallard

Short stories are one of my favorite genres of fiction. I admire them because I feel that it is a challenge to pack so much meaning into such little text, and yet some of my favorite short stories are intricately crafted to  effectively deliver a powerful message in its context. There are many devices used that can have this effect, and characterization is an example which is illustrated in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin. 

This story, which literally encompasses the story of an hour in Louise Mallards's life, offers a lot of information about the life and personality of this character, perhaps much more than a narrative describing her whole life prior to this time would. And how does Chopin go about bringing Louise Mallard to life?

One of the elements that most attributes to the way in which Louise Mallard is pictured by Chopin is the use of an omniscient narrator. Through this point of view in which the events occurring in the story are described, the reader is given full access to the actions (and thoughts behind those actions) of Louise. The reader is then able to interpret Louise's actions differently from, for instance, that of the limited knowledge of the other characters in the story: 

"When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone. She would have no one follow her." 

Though the other characters in the story might interpret this action as a result of Louise's grief over her husband's death, the reader comes to understand that in reality, Louise senses that feelings of rejoice will soon overcome her, feelings which she wishes to hide from the other characters. If the story had been told from another character's point of view, it would lose its meaning because these characters have a limited knowledge to Louise's true state of mind. Similarly, if the story had been narrated by Louise, perhaps it would have been difficult for the reader to understand her mixed, but ultimately polarized, emotions because of the heightened state in which she was in:

"And yet she had loved him-- sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter!"

Therefore, through Chopin's employment of omniscient narration, through the explanation of Louise's actions,   thoughts behind those actions, and even reasoning for these thoughts, her character is fully revealed and conveyed to the reader as presented by this narrator. 

I think that through this device, Chopin was able to emphasize the character's thoughts and opinions about her marriage, and over all give the story meaning by conveying her opinions, as a woman, of what she believes marriage can turn into.