Story of an Hour and The Yellow Wallpaper

Story of an Hour
I think the larger meaning of the Story of an Hour focuses on dealing with grief and finding oneself. Mrs. Mallard and Shaila deal with their grief in individual ways. Both women loved their husbands, but know that they must go on with their lives and live on. The grief process differs from person to person. Shaila has a hard time letting go of her family until her husband comes to her and tells her to finish what they started together. Mrs. Mallard realizes she is free to do what she wants and begins to discover herself when she is told her husband is dead.

The Yellow Wallpaper
I think the largest symbol in the Yellow Wallpaper is the wallpaper itself. This woman is all cooped up with nothing to do but write secretly and stare at the patterns in the wallpaper. The wallpaper symbolizes her chains in the room. Her husband encourages her to stay put and wants her to rest all the time when really that is the last thing she wants to do.