Josh White, a literature student, offers this introduction to "Escape," his essay on two popular short stories:

The protagonists of Willa Cather's "Paul's Case" and Kate Chopin's "The Story of An Hour" feel imprisoned within the lives they have and long for personal fulfillment. The fulfillment that Paul desires is the bright lights and big city whereas Mrs. Mallard's fulfillment lies in the need for independence. Paul is aware of his suffering and longing throughout his brief life, but Mrs. Mallard recognizes her need only after hearing of her husband's untimely death. Their respective desires for better lives lead both to their deaths, but not before they feel the exhilaration and power of being their own person.