The Embodiment of Mental Illness Portrayed in Choplins...

Laurell K. Hamilton spoke in great words that, â€Å"there are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.† Hamilton embodied a central state of mind of a person who is mentally ill. The wounds mentioned are those caused, and worsened, by traumatic events and public perception of a person with a mental illness. The women in the short stories that have been read embody an internal injury caused by an outward force. In â€Å"Story of an Hour†, â€Å"Rose for Emily†, and â€Å"Yellow Wallpaper† it is impactfully shown how traumatic life experiences can lead to and worsen mental illnesses. â€Å"Story of an Hour† uses Louise Mallard’s repressed life as a wife to elucidate how repression can lead to bottled up depression. Louise Mallard understands the â€Å"right† way for women to behave, but her internal thoughts and feelings are anything but correct. This is first illustrated by the ini tial reaction to her husband’s death, where she cries instead of feeling numb, as she suspects other women would do. The death of her husband acts as a catalyst to alleviate her depression that rooted in her marriage. In the beginning of the story we are introduced to Louise’s heart problem, which shows the extent to which she believes her marriage has trapped her. The author of the story gives a vague description of Mallard’s heart condition just simply calling it a â€Å"heart problem† (Choplin 452). This vague description shows how her â€Å"heart problem† is both physical and