For someone who has heart trouble, hearing the death of your spouse is the last thing someone wants to hear. When Mrs. Mallard was given the news that her husband was killed in a train accident (Larsson), she was paralyzed with the inability to accept its significance. All she could do was weep and cry. As she sat in her room staring out the window, her life began flashing in front of her eyes. Thinking about the role she played as a wife; she began to realize the forbidden joy of independence she had and become the self-assertive woman was again. During the 1800s women had to take on roles as being a wife, mother, maid, nurse, and basically take care of everything while the men worked to take care of the bills. Mrs. Mallard looked forward to living her new life. Unfortunately she died, but what killed her was it the joy? Mrs. Mallard loved her husband so but as a housewife she felt trapped with Mr. Mallard always working, she felt very alone and by herself. Louise only had her sister Josephine, and Richards, her husbands friend, to talk to while going through this rough time. When Josephine broke the news to Louise she was heartbroken beyond measures. She went to her room locking herself in there and cried because her husband was now gone. She then began to think about the new life she could live without her husband. Free! Body and soul free! (Chopin 40) she kept whispering. Her soul was now free and she no longer has to be oppressed by her husband. However loving Brentley is, though, nothing can compensate Louise for the freedom that she has lost by marrying. Her face bespoke repression; no matter how kind Brentley has been, he has still imposed his will on his wife. Hence, Brentleys death is not tragic to her because it gives her own life back to her. (Rosenbum) She is now looking forward to the years to come. During the 1800s gender roles were very simply but unfair. The men went out and worked a number of hours to pay the bills