An Hour Symbolism

Kate Chopin writes, “She could see in the open square before her house…” (para. 5). Although this simple quote may seem insignificant at the surface to the audience, it is a crucial form of symbolism to the story that Chopin uses to insert a small sense of innovation into the character of Louise Mallard. Joseph Rosenblum states that the window “does not intervene between her and nature and allows her the scope of infinite vision“ (para. 16). Without the window, Louise Mallard would have never found the inspiration that led her to discover just how wonderful her unfamiliar, new chapter of her life truly is. The window gives her vision to the world she had never seen before her husband’s “death.” The window is another form of symbolism that plays a significant role in Louise Mallard experiencing the happiness that her newfound independence created. Although the window in Louise Mallard’s bedroom and the nature that lies just outside of her bedroom are both prominent forms of symbolism in “The Story of an Hour,” those are not the only ones.

The symbols and imagery used by Kate Chopin's in “The Story of an Hour” give the reader a sense of Mrs. Mallard’s new life appearing before her through her view of an “open window” (para. 4). Louise Mallard experiences what most individuals long for throughout their lives; freedom and happiness. By spending an hour in a “comfortable, roomy armchair” (para.4) in front of an open window, she undergoes a transformation that makes her understand the importance of her freedom. The author's use of Spring time imagery also creates a sense of renewal that captures the author's idea that Mrs. Mallard was set free after the news of her husband's death.

I chose to do my analysis on the short story, “The Story Of An Hour”. The themes I see in this story is the quest for identity/coming of age, romantic/love, birth, and death. It is about a woman named Mrs. Mallard. She was an elderly lady and had a heart complications. Her sister Josephine and her husband’s friend Richards had to break the news to her that her husband, Brently Mallard, has been killed in a railroad disaster. Mrs. Mallard was sorrowful and sobbed in her sisters’ arms. After her grieving process, she wanted to be alone, so she went to her room and locked herself in. As she sat in the window, she seem to be calmer and accepted her husband’s death. She was not distressed of what had happened. She began to say the words “free” and her heart

The Story of an Hour, is about Louise Mallard, a woman who has heart trouble. She is informed by her sister that Brently Mallard, her husband has died in a railroad disaster. The story first informs us that Mrs. Mallard, “wept at once

The Story of an Hour takes place in the beginning of spring, and that plays a very important role in symbolizing the renewal of life. When one thinks about Spring they imagine flowers blooming, leaves reappearing, and the animals coming out of their dens. Spring is when all the flowers, plants, and trees come back to life after staying dead in the cold and harsh winter. The winter symbolizes Mrs. Mallards life before her husband “died”. It was very cold and dull no flowers to bring out the color and joy in life. Then, when she heard the news winter was finally over and her Spring was finally starting. She began to feel like she was coming back to life. She felt as if there was an explosion of joy that had suddenly come into her

Both the narrator from “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Mrs. Mallard from “The Story of an Hour” essentially find themselves both confined in their rooms. Mrs. Mallard, however, has the option to leave the room at anytime whereas the narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” has no escape from her room. Within these two confined rooms the two characters experience mental and emotional freedom. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” the narrator finds her freedom through her love to write despite knowing it is against her husband’s wishes. As for Mrs. Mallard, she finds her emotional peace through looking out the window and realizing her new possible profound freedom she has since her husband passed. However, these freedoms drive both characters into their insanity and

In “The Story of an Hour” there is a copious amount of words that function as descriptors to show off the vast imagery. After Mrs. Mallard receives news of her husband’s death- she retreats to her room where she sits in mourning and contemplation. From there a series of images is given that show off the world in all its glory- unrestricted. “…The delicious breath of rain…The notes of a distant song…and countless sparrow twittering in the eaves…” (Chopin 73). In this line, there is an allusion to Mrs. Mallard’s realization that freedom—a new beginning—is close at hand; “But she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents, the

“The Story of an Hour” follows an eventful hour of a particular day in the life of Louise Mallard during the late 19th century. Over the span of an hour, Mrs. Mallard receives the news that her husband had died in a terrible railroad accident and she goes through the typical mourning stage that most people do when they find out a love one is lost. But within a few minutes of being alone Mrs. Mallard starts repeating, “Free! Body and soul free!” From this moment she begins to envision a life on her own where she does not have to live for anyone, especially not a husband, she can do what she wants and follow her dreams. She’s more confident and ecstatic about her new life and finally goes to be with her sister again but in doing that, Brently Mallard, her husband comes home and indirectly kills her.

Throughout the short story, “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin uses imagery and symbolism with several different objects to further the theme and plot. Since the use of symbolism helps bring depth to the story without focusing on too much detail, readers can acquire a more complex idea on what they believe the author tries to convey throughout the story. As Chopin executes an underlying message behind her signs, she also reveals new traits and meanings of her character, Mrs. Mallard. Despite Chopin’s use of several symbols to advance the storyline, the open window exemplifies not only Mrs. Mallard’s realization of her new-found freedom, but her hope and happiness as well.

“The Story of An Hour”, Mrs. Mallard was mentally trapped in her marriage. She was dealing with her own health and had to her wifely duties to maintain. When she heard the news of her husband, of course she was sad at first but then she realized that there was a little hope for her. She still had the opportunity to live her life to the fullest and be happy for herself. Most people would not react the same way she did, but one has to realize that

“The Story of an Hour” is a story about a woman, Mrs. Mallard, who comes to find that her beloved husband Brently Mallard was killed in a railroad incident. She mourns of his death in a different way than most would and tries to find a way to get over it. There is a drastic twist to the story when through the front door walks Brently Mallard who had actually not died. Then Mrs. Mallard drops to the floor dead, “of joy that kills”. (The Story of an Hour)

The time period of “The Story of an Hour” takes place in the 1800s, a time where women were dependent on men who were the majority who held jobs and made the money while women stayed at home to clean, take care of children, cooked, and other related housing duties. After slight grieving of finding out her husband has passed and going into a room by herself, the setting and mood of the story change subtly and creates a sort of at peace, free feeling. Mrs. Mallard notices “the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new

This is where the story takes a positive turn and where Mrs. Mallard begins to recognize her freedom for the first time. The open window is symbolically Mrs. Mallard’s connection to the world and fresh start at life. Sometimes we open windows to let new fresh air in and let the old air out. She was getting rid of her old life and was finally accepting and loving her freedom and the new opportunities to come after the death of Mr. Mallard.

“The Story of an Hour” tells the story about Mrs. Mallard, who learns that her husband is dead and right after that faces a great variety of emotions and feelings. Mrs. Mallard has a heart problem. One day she gets news that her husband has died in a railroad disaster. She starts crying at once, goes upstairs and locks herself in her room. She feels very lonely at first but then she starts feeling happy and free from her marriage. After some time she opens the door and descends the stairs. She surprisingly sees Mr. Mallard at the door. When she looks at Mr. Mallard, she dies suddenly. The doctor says that she dies of her heart disease, from the "joy that kills." This story illustrates the dependent condition and status of married women in the 19th century and reveals the fact that there is no way of escaping from marriage except one’s death.

“The Story of an Hour” is a very short text, so the author does not have room to develop a complex plot. In the exposition, the reader learn that Mrs. Mallard has a heart problem, so the other characters wanted to be delicate while sharing the news of her husband’s death. The rising action is when Mrs. Mallard’s sister shares the news and Mrs. Mallard responds by weeping and going to her room. The climax occurs when Mrs. Mallard learns that she will be free from the restrictions the “civil law” forces on women at that time. According to the text, “When she abandoned herself a little whisper escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her