Although Mrs. Mallard felt forced to follow her husband's will, she exaggerates by being "free". This hyperbole can help the reader understand how free Mrs. Mallard felt and the joy she must feel in no longer having a husband. This great feeling of freedom is then put to the test when her husband returns home and turns out to actually be alive. This perception of reality becomes overwhelming and ultimately leads to his actual death, ironically described as "a joy that kills" (3). Both of these characters relate in the sense that their perception of reality damages their mental state and health. As a result, leaving them both in a tragic ending. In The Story of an Hour and The Yellow Wallpaper the main character's reality is worked on and influenced through his perception of reality. Both authors effectively use rhetorical devices to help the reader more deeply understand how an individual surrounds themselves, declares their companionship, and is mentally influenced to alter their reality through the perception of reality. These points are crucial because they allow an individual to understand how our perception can drive a person to the breaking point of madness or even