Question

There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of illumination.

Which universal theme is expressed in the excerpt?

Answer 1

One of the universal themes that this excerpt expresses is that of a desire for freedom. This is a desire that all humans have, and one that can make social commitments or social relationships difficult.

In this excerpt, Mrs. Mallard thinks about what it means to be left without a husband. Her first thought is how she will no longer have to act according to anyone's will. She believes that whether this is done out of a good or a cruel intention, in the end it still shows a type of control that a person should not be entitled to have over another one.