Answer:
Freedom and Independence.
Explanation:
Kate Chopin's short story "The Story of An Hour" tells the story of a woman's relief in finding that her husband had died, leaving her on her own. But this short lived relief and happiness ended in the husband returning back home, which gave her a heart attack, killing her on the spot.
The protagonist Mrs. Mallard had just received news that her husband had been killed in an accident. She felt numb for a while but then relief replaced that feeling. She now feels excited and looked forward to the days to come. These lines from the text rightly summarizes her feelings-
"Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own. She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long".
Seems her husband had been dealing with her with an iron fist, for she is now looking forward to her freedom. But all that changed the moment he walked back into the house, which shocked and eventually killed her. Throughout the short story, we can find numerous instances of her thinking of her freedom and independence from her husband's "powerful will". Thus, the themes reflected in the stpry are freedom and independence.
