In lines 45–58 the narrator begins to reveal Mrs. Mallard’s true feelings about being a widow. What theme is suggested through this situational irony?

The theme of Fate and free will

Explanation: In the story, Mrs. Mallard's sister is afraid to tell her the news that she is now a widow, she is afraid that she might suffer a heart attack. Nevertheless, when Mrs. Mallard isolates herself in her room, she starts feeling a sensation of freeness. She realizes that she will finally be liberated from her oppressing marriage. This reaction is ironic since the reader is expecting her to be devastated. The theme of fate and free will is suggested because regardless of how liberated she starts to feel, she is destined to perish from joy at the end of the story.  

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