Feminism In Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour

Kate Chopin was born Katherine O’Flaherty on February 8, 1850 in St. Louis Missouri (213). Chopin had grown up in comfortable circumstances and began her life as a contemporary young woman (213). In 1888, six years after the death of her husband, Oscar Chopin, Kate subsequently became seriously committed to furthering her literary career (214). Chopin is oftentimes noted to be “a women who lived before her time, whose stories might be seen as a vindication of the rights of women, and an author whose literary works were controversial and unappreciated until many years later” (TheStorm&FeministPhilosophy.com). This description of Chopin’s work is distinctly evident in two of her most distinguished short stories, At The ‘Cadian Ball and its sequel The Storm. Both short stories embody a common theme; women challenging their confining gender roles. Although both works embody this theme, Chopin takes differing approaches in fulfilling this explicit theme; At The ‘Cadian Ball takes a “softer” approach in exposing this already controversial theme while The Storm takes a shockingly erotic approach in revealing the theme.

    One of the most prominent goals of feminism was to disassemble the patriarchy. During that time period society was primarily controlled by males and as a result of this women were often very oppressed. Chopin showcased these oppressive tendencies within “ The Story of an Hour”. When a woman learns of her husband's demise she is overcome with grief and also with joy.

Commonly explored throughout her works, the idea of marriage inhibiting a woman’s freedom is the driving force behind Kate Chopin’s contextual objections to propriety. In particular, The Awakening and “The Story of an Hour” explore the lives of women seeking marital liberation and individuality. Mrs. Chopin, who was raised in a matriarchal household, expresses her opposition to the nineteenth century patriarchal society while using her personal experiences to exemplify her feminist views.

“The Story of an Hour” was composed by American author Kate Chopin in 1894. The story depicts a period in time, specifically an hour, when Mrs. Mallard experiences a plethora of

Before the term “feminist” became popularized, Chopin was already the ideal feminist of her times. Women all around began to finally raise their voices against men, and although the feminist movement did not begin until the 1960’s, Chopin and many other women alongside her were ahead of their time. Critics often criticized Chopin’s stories and referred to them as “morbid” and “disagreeable” but her stories were post humorous

Feminism is an occurring problem in today’s society. Therefore, society still judges and give stereotypical characteristics and behaviors to woman. According to the text, “Literary and Cultural Theory” by Donald Hall, the purpose of feminism is “to reveal, analyze, and redress the situations in which women’s equality with men is denied” (200). For example, feminist analysis is being able to recognize the different degrees of social power that are given to and used by men and women (Halls 199). While cultural feminism is one of the many types of feminism, it is an important issue in society. It mainly focuses on the stereotypical roles and characteristics that are given to women. The Awakening by Kate Chopin is an excellent example of cultural feminism. Kate Chopin was born in 1850 when society was filled with stereotypes and patriarchy. Therefore, her novels are believed to contribute to the movements of feminism. During the late 1800s the protagonist, Edna Pontellier, has a difficult patriarchal life filled with oppression within her entire life. The novel is filled with stereotypes that Edna rebels. “A Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, unlike her novel, The Awakening, the short story talks about an ill woman named Mrs. Mallard, who soon is told that her husband has been in a terrible train accident. At first she was sad, but then realizes she is free of the oppression her husband gave her. This short story is a great example on how women felt through oppression that

Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour is a great story that conveys an important message about life and how difficult it can be for women, particularly in previous centuries. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when this story was written, women were quite often mistreated and had to live restricted lives that lacked opportunity. Generally, women weren?t liberated during the 19th century. Traditionally, women did all the hard work in the house and had no opportunities to make their own living or pursue their own personal dreams. Kate Chopin does an outstanding job of portraying a woman living in these times. The Story of an Hour is a good depiction of the unspoken repression that women faced in the past. Kate Chopin's major theme of the

In the latter times, marriage was a huge thing. However, differing from today’s view, most women were seen as property. In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” marriage is portrayed as a mistake for the woman. Consequently, Chopin shows this Delta region social standard when Louise experiences how it feels to be free after the death of her husband. However, she suffers fatal heartbreak after discovering he is not dead.

“The Story of an Hour” describes the journey of Mrs. Mallard against the Cult of True Womanhood as she slowly becomes aware of her own desires and thus of a feminine self that has long been suppressed.  While this journey begins with the news of her husband’s death, Mr. Mallard’s unexpected return at the very end of the tale tragically cuts short the journey towards feminine selfhood.  Yet the tale is tragic from beginning to end, for the very attempt to create an identity against the gender constraints of patriarchal society is riddled with a sense that such an attempt can only end in defeat.  “The Story of an Hour” demonstrates that the patriarchal society that defines gender roles which control and delimit women’s experiences deny them a self founded on true feminine desires.  Ultimately, Mrs. Mallard’s journey towards selfhood only serves to reveal the erasure of identity, indeed of being, that women experienced in the nineteenth century.

In “The Story of an Hour,” by Kate Chopin, Mrs. Louise Mallard goes from being a stereotypical woman, to something much more. Mrs. Mallard is depicted as a weak woman, as most are thought to be, in the beginning of the story, but as the plot progresses, she begins to develop into someone who is stronger than originally perceived. The story shows a great possibility that Louise’s husband objectified her, and she had become so used to it, that when the thought of freedom emerged, even at the cost of his death, she was filled with joy.

The characters in the story are Josephine – Louise Mallard's sister, Richards – Brently Mallard 's friend and the one who informed Mrs. Mallard about her husband's death, Brently Mallard – Mrs. Mallard's presumed dead husband, and Mrs. Mallard – a woman who seems to be in deep physical and emotional suffering. She is not only “afflicted with a heart trouble” (Chopin par. 1), but it seems that she is also suffering from a

at face value. It needs a common denominator or overall feeling that the reader can

In “Story of an Hour”, the author’s attitudes about women and independence are represented throughout the short story. Chopin reflections on sensibilities and her work is known as a “feminist story”. The author analyzes specific reasoning, leaving readers evidence regarding men and women in society. Kate Chopin successfully accomplishes the concept of theme, symbolism, and point of view in her short story.

At a prime time of emerging feminism, during the mid 1800s, Kate Chopin- a realistic fiction writer- released numerous short stories that have a noticeable common theme of feminism. Both ‘The story of an Hour’ and ‘the Unexpected’ both include symbolism that represents freedom, independence and self hood, having previously been compressed by an idea of marriage. By the effective use of symbolism Chopin is able to illustrate the development of characters, and how different circumstances have progressed to a different meaning.

During the late of the nineteenth century, the American society had witnessed the abolishment of slavery, but still women had no right to vote until 1920. It makes sense, then, that freedom and feminine selfhood would be of great concern to the forerunners of modern feminism. Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour was written in April 1894. In this story, initiated by the false news of Louise Mallard’s husband’s death in a train accident, Chopin presents us with a picture of a subjugated female protagonist feeling a powerful joy for the death of her husband that will give a promising path of freedom. Chopin’s exploration of the themes of feminine selfhood, the yearning for freedom, independence and new life and of what she calls the “possession of self-assertion” is vividly displayed in a rich and colorful