The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin "what are we able to learn about women's roles and society's attitudes at the time this story was written?"I am...

Chopin was writing at a time when the political and social
position of women in society was much debated and discussed. By the time the story was
published in 1894, the vote had been held by black men for 25 years. The question as to
why women’s suffrage was still not established was becoming hotly
debated.

Many of her stories were rejected for publication
as her feminist principles were often too clearly stated.’ The Story of an Hour ‘was
still quite controversial in that the protagonist appears to revel in the freedom
brought about by her husband’s demise. The suitably ambiguous ending of Louisa dying of
‘the joy that kills’ meant that the story could be seen as showing female weakness in
her ‘heart trouble’ or the overwhelming happiness in seeing her husband return. It is
likely that without these ambiguities the story would have been refused
publication.