When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: “free, free, free!” The vacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.

Question

She did not stop to ask if it were or were not a monstrous joy that held her. A clear and exalted perception enabled her to dismiss the suggestion as trivial.

She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death; the face that had never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead. But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome.

Use the paragraphs to answer the question.

Why is the setting important in this middle section of the story?

(1 point)
Responses

The switch to a first-person narrator reveals how much Mrs. Mallard disliked her husband.
The switch to a first-person narrator reveals how much Mrs. Mallard disliked her husband.

Mrs. Mallard can be honest with herself because she is alone.
Mrs. Mallard can be honest with herself because she is alone.

The isolation Mrs. Mallard feels is conveyed through her refusal to talk to anyone.
The isolation Mrs. Mallard feels is conveyed through her refusal to talk to anyone.

Mrs. Mallard’s honesty allows the reader to see that she is unaffected by her husband’s dea

Answer 1

Mrs. Mallard can be honest with herself because she is alone.

In this section of the story, the setting plays a crucial role in providing Mrs. Mallard with the solitude she needs to explore her true feelings about her marriage and her newfound sense of freedom. Being alone allows her to reflect deeply and embrace emotions that she might have suppressed while in her marriage. This isolation allows her to experience a range of emotions, from grief to exhilaration, as she contemplates her future without her husband.