My first analysis of Chopin's work was "The story of an hour" and a Redditor in this community proposed "The awakening".
Similar to the story of an hour, the unhappy married woman choses death to preserve her new found autonomy over the idea of going back to marriage. ( there are argueaments that the husbands in both stories were not violent or cruel, but the wives still felt suffocated and desired freedom). One can also argue that these wives were provided for and could spend much time without their husbands coming home, giving them room to attend to their hobbies, including society with other women.
As a feminists author, Chopin advocated for freedom and rights for women. it is clear what a life without purpose, education, and a career does to society at large – abandoned children and suicide.
However, one can argue that Edna is mentally unstable. She has a career in the arts and makes money selling her paintings. She also has regained her freedom by moving away from her home and letting her children stay with her grandmother.
Perhaps with access to mental health services, Edna would have survived in the end. But giving the time this book was published, a more likely scenario would have been as seen in the "Yellow wallpaper".
despite Chopin's works alongside this trope, she has a short story called " Regret " which i highly recommend and invite comparisons to "The story of an hour" and "The Awakening".
by Sexxymama2