Chopin's protagonist in "The Story of an Hour," Louise Mallard, utters the words "free, free, free" after she receives the news of her husband's death. What theme of the story does this action most clearly reflect?

The theme that is revealed is the marital imprisonment of women in that society. Many women at that time lived in marriages where their psychological needs were neglected and were used as housewives. The story of an hour analyzes this theme.