The story shows the forbidden pleasure that every woman, especially in the 1800s, feels: the pleasure of her husband's death. The protagonist, Louise, displays overwhelming joy at the thought of her husband being gone, suggesting that all marriages are sexually and emotionally oppressive. That marriage is a binding union that limits personal freedom, even if the husband is kind. Louise cannot name the specific way in which her husband oppresses her, rather the idea of ​​marriage is just what oppresses her. Furthermore, Louise's heart condition shows her ambivalence towards her marriage. The heart condition is mentioned at the beginning and it's something she's always had, but if her heart was truly weak then why didn't she stress it out with pain and sadness with the news that her husband had died? However, when she learned that he was alive, her heart ached as her newfound freedom outside of marriage was quickly being taken away from her. The heart condition highlights how women really feel oppressed