Kate Chopin's Short Stories

What is the nature of Mrs. Mallard's "heart trouble", and why would the author mention it in the first paragragh?

Is there any way in which this might be considered symbolic or ironic

 

 

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In the first paragraph of "The Story of an Hour," Chopin uses the term "heart trouble" primarily in a medical sense, but over the course of the story, Mrs. Mallard's presumed frailty seems to be largely a result of psychological repression rather than truly physiological factors. The story concludes by attributing Mrs. Mallard's death to heart disease, where heart disease is "the joy that kills." This last phrase is purposefully ironic, as Louise must have felt both joy and extreme disappointment at Brently's return, regaining her husband and all of the loss of freedom her marriage entails. The line establishes that Louise's heart condition is more of a metaphor for her emotional state than a medical reality.

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http://www.gradesaver.com/kate-chopins-short-stories/study-guide/summary-the-story-of-an-hour