The Story of an Hour

I just read the Story of an Hour, I found this story extremely ironic.  I am curious to know how the story was received because it was written by a woman about how women want to be independent in a time when women were inferior to men.  I really like the contrast between how happy Mrs. Mallard was to hear that she was free to dying of disappointment when she realized she wasn't.  I think that women who read this story in the time period in which it was written would find it some what inspiring, or at least thought provoking.