Mrs. Mallard in Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" is not a weak woman.
She has a weak heart, but that's not really what we mean when we talk about someone being a weak person.
Mrs. Mallard is a female trapped in a man's world. Her society dictates gender roles, and she is obligated to comply with them. She is obligated to be subservient to her husband. Her subservience is not a sign of weakness.
In fact, I would say she's mentally strong. Most people would go along with what's expected when a husband dies. They would play the role of the grieving widow, and their minds would conform to the role. They would start thinking about all of the good times they had with their spouses and fall into self-pity. Mrs. Mallard does not. To use a cliche, she has the strength of her convictions.
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