Mrs. Mallard's cause of death is described as "a joy that kills". Chopin uses this as final evidence to show that A. Women were given explicit social rules and were expected to follow all of them or suffer a tarnished reputation B. All wives were devoted and affectionate towards their husbands C. The pressure of society was so heavy that people were blind to the possibility that conformity could be resisted D. Heart disease was a serious condition that needed to be brought to attention E. Women were very capable of masking their feelings, which were often very strongly agal c va sat society expected of them

# Explanation:<br />## Step 1<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is a metaphor used by Kate Chopin in her story "The Story of an Hour". This phrase is used to describe the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death. <br /><br />## Step 2<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. The joy of Mrs. Mallard's death is a result of the liberation she feels upon realizing that she is free from the societal expectations and norms that she was expected to conform to.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 4<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 5<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 6<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 7<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 8<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 9<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 10<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 11<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 12<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 13<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 14<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 15<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 16<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 17<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 18<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 19<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 20<br />The phrase "a joy that kills" is not a literal representation of the cause of Mrs. Mallard's death, but rather a metaphorical representation of the societal expectations and norms that women were expected to conform to. <br /><br />## Step 21