The Story of an Hour

Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour exemplifies the literary terms of institutional irony and foreshadowing. The reader is told that the protagonist Mrs. Mallard's husband has just died in an accident and that her sister is trying to tell her carefully because she has heart problems. For a time, Mrs. Mallard is seen mourning, when a sudden shift comes. The lock of the door is heard unlatching with a key. It is Mr. Mallard, he is alive!  When Mrs. Mallard sees him at the front door, she is so overcome with joy that she faints, or rather dies of a heart attack. The reader has no idea Mr. Mallard is still alive, and it is surprises the reader. The sudden shift brings about a surprise the reader does not see coming. Also, the author gives the reader a sampling of the surprise ending by mentioning the heart problems of Mrs. Mallard. I found the story very surprising and entertaining due to the ending, when the doctor says " she had died of heart disease - of joy that kills."