Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour and Feminism in the 1800s

In the “ The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions Seneca Falls Conference”, Elizabeth Stanton writes that, “[mankind] has endeavored in every way that he could, to destroy her confidence” which would “make her willing to lead a dependent life”. With men taking away women’s confidence, the women would be forced onto dependence on men which would limit their access to the American Dream. In the short story “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, the narrator repetitively keeps saying, “free,free,free” after getting news of her husband’s death. After his death, the narrator realised that she could be free and independent and could lead a life where she would be in control of, unlike many women during that time. The narrator is overwhelmed

Kate Chopin was an American author who wrote novels as well as short stories. Her work was extraordinary and some of her greatest work was based on the feminist movement. Kate Chopin became known throughout the world as one of the most influential writers during the feminist movement. She has attracted great attention from scholars along with students, and her work has been translated into many different languages.

In Chopin’s short story, she demonstrates how men in the late ninetieth and early twentieth century treated their wives more as possessions than individuals, thus when the protagonist Mrs. Mallard learns her husband Brently Mallard just unexpectedly died, she feels “free, free, free!” (15). Since, Chopin published this short story in 1894; women often got married while they were quite young and typically to men much older. Likewise, divorce was never usually an option for unhappy marriages. Subsequently, Mrs. Mallard appears unhappy in her marriage, after learning about her husband’s death, she pictures how much better her life is going to be, “There would be no powerful will bending hers in that persistence with which men and women believe they have the right to impose a private will upon a

Slavery was abolished in the year 1864 when Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This was the end of the possibility of human beings owning one another in the United States. Unfortunately this mentality remained in some shape and form, as women were often only considered an extension of their husbands. In 1919 women were granted the right to vote, and in 1960 women decided they wanted to be treated as equals. They subsequently initiated a civil rights movement to fight for workplace equality. Although women became equal to men in the eyes of the law, socially they still struggle for equality to this day. Still in this day and age women face some of the same discriminatory practices that were common place in the nineteenth century. Kate Chopin demonstrates the profound societal weight put on a wife when her faint hearted character’s husband is thought dead. Mrs. Mallard first feels grief for the loss of her husband’s life, then she feels the sweetness of freedom that is now bestowed upon her with the death of her husband. Chopin displays the injustices of society in her short story The Story of An Hour using diction, syntax, and figurative language.

"There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and woman believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature" (Chopin 182). Chopin makes her strong statement in this quote from the story here. Mrs. Mallard has no one to answer to but herself now, she feels liberated that her husband can no longer control her.

Sojourner Truth’s words in her speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?” served as an anthem for women everywhere during her time. Truth struggled with not only racial injustice but also gender inequality that made her less than a person, and second to men in society. In her speech, she warned men of “the upside down” world against the power of women where “together, [women] ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again!” Today, America proudly stands thinking that Truth’s uneasiness of gender inequality was put to rest. Oppression for women, however, continues to exist American literature has successfully captured and exposed shifts in attitude towards women and their roles throughout American history.

The Story of an Hour was written in 1894 and during this time women still did not have the right to vote. It makes sense that women would have the feeling of being repressed and oppressed by men and within their marriages.

Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights based on political, economic, and social equality to men. In the present modern era, it is quite the norm for women to have such equal rights as men in each of those realms. However, when Kate Chopin wrote The Awakening, circumstances were relatively the opposite. The temporal setting of the novel occurs in the late nineteenth century Victorian society. During this period of time, women had certain social obligations. It was unusual for a woman to concern herself with anything outside of those boundaries, and society would not approve of such things. In The Awakening, the author, Kate Chopin, uses the main character, Edna Pontellier, to promote feminism in a society that criticizes women who do not

Kate Chopin, as a forerunner of feminist authors in 19th century, also interprets her understanding of how one’s social status can affect his/her ability to choose marriage suitors and make marriage decision. In the story, “love” or “affection" can be given up for reaching higher social ladder. People on “top” have more power to make decision on marriage than people with lower “ranks”; also, males have more power to make decision than women. As a result, female with lower “ranks” is more likely to attracted by males with higher “ranks”. But males want to find an equal or beneficial marriage for themselves. People follow these rules in marriage selection process in order to reach better equality in marriage. It reminds me of the traditional culture in China. In old times of China, young women cannot date or talk with males, and their marriages must be arranged by their parents in order to be equal. And even some people today still believe in that only equitable marriage will leads to happiness. In article “Ratoinal Choice and the Price of Marriage”, Robert Cherry defines equitable marriage as “one in which sexual behavior and the allocation of household time and income are determined by only comparative advantage and each individual’s endogenously-determined preferences….The actual services provided by each spouse in the typical marriage can deviate from those which should be provided in equitable marriages ” (Cherry, 1998).

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

Kate Chopin, a daring female writer, released her materials during an era when gender equality was scarce and slowly starting to make its way into society. Written during a time when females were seen as inferior and submissive, her writings made bold statements that women are capable of being more than just a house mouse. She is an integral individual in women’s history because of her ability to write about women that did not depict societal or gender norms. While many envision mothers to be loving, nurturing and self-sacrificing by all means necessary, The Awakening show cased a mother who had her own agenda. Edna Pontellier, “is an artist in search of female freedom, sexuality, and creativity” (Brantley). While in comparison, another mother

Chopin includes that Mrs. Mallard tried to fight off these ideas with her will (Booth 307). Her embraced feelings of independence could have been viewed as forbidden. Although she is excited by these thoughts, she tries to resist the pleasure she truly feels when she realizes the freedom that she has gained. The words “free, free, free!” escaped from her mouth (Booth307). She attempted to hold back the overwhelming desires for her own life. Perhaps she is hesitant to welcome these feelings because of the public view on women’s rights, and the potential consequences for those who opposed such views. Despite the faithfulness and love Mrs. Mallard showed for her husband, the extreme relief she felt in no longer having a marital obligation overpowered her feelings of sadness and loss.

“Love and passion, marriage and independence, freedom and restraint.” These are the themes that are represented and worked with throughout Kate Chopin’s works. Kate Chopin, who was born on February 8, 1851, in St. Louis, was an American acclaimed writer of short stories and novels. She was also a poet, essayist, and a memoirist. Chopin grew up around many women; intellectual women that is. Chopin said herself that she was neither a feminist nor a suffragist; she was simply a woman who took other women intensely seriously. Chopin believed women had the ability to be strong, individual, and free-spirited. She herself reached out, in

In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” Mrs. Louise Mallard, a woman with a preexisting heart condition, is overwhelmed when she is told that her husband has died in a train accident. She goes on a moving journey as she is overcome with her emotions. At first, she is hysterical and cannot be consoled. She then realizes what an opportunity this could be for her. But alas, her husband makes a surprise appearance at their estate, where she is so overcome with emotion that she dies. Mrs. Mallard would not have been so overwhelmed if she perhaps were treated as an equal instead of inferior. All of the conflict in “The Story of an Hour” could have been avoided if Mrs. Louise was treated equally. Due to the fact

Feminism is the public support for or recommendation of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. In a more simple way of stating it, women rights equivalent to those of men. Before suffrage begun, women were strictly to act as women should, or what they were expected to act like. They were expected to take care of the children, cook, and clean. Not only were they supposed to do house work, but they also couldn’t vote or own any property. On August 26th, 1920, after 72 long-lasting years of fighting, and prolonged anticipation, women finally won their rights to be treated equally. There have been, and still are, many feminists in this world. One very prominent feminist is Crystal Eastman.