Finding Equality through “Story of an Hour”
While our society has moved into a more diverse and accepting community, the principles of what has been considered ideal still hold truth and are very much still imbedded in the foundations on which we live. According to “Understanding the Dynamics of Family Change in the United States”, the idea of strength and proper family upbringings stem from the idea that in order to achieve success at raising a family, a wife and husband must commit to one another and remain faithful. This principle idea has been reiterated in the minds of every individual immigrating from western cultures since the beginning of time, backed by religious unrest. That idea takes precedence in comparison that a wife is stronger
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The idea of power through spouse relations during the time was clearly evident and in need of reform. The battle Louise fought was not that of a one women show. Women across the country could resonate with her emotions and struggle. While mostly positive attention was evoked through the story focusing on societies view of women roles in marriage, some negative unintentional thoughts could be represented as well. This is the case in which women could resonate with gaining freedom from struggling marriages through death. Either the death of their spouses or the death of …show more content…
“Kate Chopin ‘The Story of an Hour.'” KateChopin.org, Kate Chopin International Society. Web. 29 March 2017. www.katechopin.org/the-story-of-an-hour/.
Smith, Nicole. “Kate Chopin: Language, Emotion and Marriage.” Articlemyriad. Dec 2011. Web. March 22, 2017. Articlemyriad.com/kate-chopin-language-emotion-marriage.
Vanorman, Alicia G. and Paola Scommegna. "Understanding the Dynamics of
Family Change in the United States." Population Bulletin, vol. 71, no. 1, July 2016, p. 1.
The family shows both continuity and changes which can be seen by looking at nuclear families and single parent families respectively. Before 1940s, marriage was considered an important part of society and thought to be a social institution essential for order. Divorce and single parent families were considered dreadful, sex outside marriage was not acceptable, it was a moral offense. The tempo of divorces was very low, but this social behavior soon ended in the post war era. By 1960s, this was no longer the case, as women started to work. They became much more independent, laws were changed and increase in divorces and cohabitation rates had shown that marriage was not compulsory in one’s life.
The emphasis on individualism has provoked a deeper inspection of one’s personal values and beliefs while feminism has opened the door for a new type of traditional family to emerge with new dynamics between parents, children and their roles within the home. These new dynamics merge right along with cultural values as the two merge. In America, life is varied from home to home with different culturally-influenced family values. While throughout other parts of the world, different countries have maintained a balance within a core value system that affects all families alike through religion and a national way of life. There is no doubt that the many varied factors of modern society, ethnic background and religion all play significant roles in forming family values that shape the life of an
In ‘The Story of an Hour’ the struggles and hardships of women in day to day life are conveyed. In ‘The Story of an Hour’, Chopin implies that marriage, even when
Marriage has been constantly changing over the past centuries. Currently, trends in marriage have adopted a new way of getting married through splitting responsibilities and work, resulting in social freedom for individuals. "The Myth of Co-Parenting,” by Hope Edelman demonstrates the difficulties of taking all the responsibilities while in “ My Problem with Her Anger,” explains the needs of having a better understanding of each other. Due to marriage changing over the last centuries, marriage couples desire individuals’ expectations and freedom to be met in marriage.
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.
American family has declined drastically due to the high rates of divorce. This factor is being considered one of the biggest issues in the society. According to the current Divorce Rate-U.S.A. statistics point out that the divorce rate in the U.S.A. is the highest in the world, and
In all cultures the concept of marriage and family are necessary for the function of a sustainable society. Within the family dynamic, parents are responsible for nurturing and for providing their offspring with the basic essentials necessary to survive. It is important that parents fulfill their duties because their children are ultimately the future. In particular, this essay will compare and contrast the family values of the Mexican American and Asian American cultures. The Mexican and Asian cultures that reside in America have their own yet similar parenting styles, stresses in divorce, and remarriage.
Conversely, most people perceive marriage as a sanctuary, satisfying the needs of both partners involved. It is one of the most important institutions affecting people’s health and well-being. Firstly, a strong marriage has a dramatic effect on the partners’
Louise Mallard’s life was very typical for her time. She feels and acts like she is not capable of thinking for herself because her husband has the dominant role in their household. This was not new for this era in time. Society had given women the roles as the home keepers, ethical keepers for the home and the entire society, as well as housewives for their families. Not only were the women controlled, they were also given no rights in the United States.
American families have never been as diverse as they are today. There is a constant changing definition of what we call “family”. We as Americans are straying further and further from the idea of a classic nuclear family. One of the biggest reasons is a dramatic rise in kids living with a single parent. In 2014, just 14% of children younger than 18 lived with a stay-at-home mother and a working father who were in their first marriage (Livingston, 2015). This research will address in depth why households are now more diverse than ever, what’s the normal family now, and why aren’t the laws adjusting to how the average American family lives today.
The beginning of the story sets the theme for the whole story. We are told about the heart condition that inflicts Louise. This is significant throughout the story. The heart condition is a symbolic way of describing her thoughts of oppression she felt about her marriage. She was trapped and isolated by the marriage. She felt the need to hide these feelings. Women of her era were supposed to be home and under their husbands command. The story has her going through this journey privately. That is significant in the fact that now in her husband’s passing, she will be alone. She will need to work through things by herself. She will be able to go through the whole process on her own, without being judged and persuaded to feel differently.
By the repetition of the words as a reader we come to understand the meaning behind the story and how Louise actually felt towards her husband. The theme of the story is mainly the forbidden joy of independence. Due to that the story was written years ago where women were very dependent to their husbands Louise actual feelings of joy and happiness towards her husband death was forbidden by society during this
Over time, the American society has derailed from the traditional reason and forms of marriage and family set up. The American society acceptance of non-marital childbearing (single parenting), same- sex marriage has led to the trending poverty rate in average families. The main objective of the institution of marriage was meant to be between a man and a woman. Starting of a family should be a product of marriage. There is certainly a need for the American Society to embrace the old form of marriage and family setting as it is more beneficial to the upbringing of a child. This paper will focus on recent developments in marriage and family set up within the American society.
The Story of an Hour is short, yet, contains important examples of gender roles in marriage. They are important because they represent how women felt married in the 19th century due to male dominance that manifested throughout marriages all over the world. In The Story of an Hour, Mrs. Mallard is a wife that is, at first, seen as distraught, because of her husband’s death. She starts to cry and run to her room, to soon be lifted with the joy that she is now free. It is clear that she felt trapped in the marriage and is now happy that there is no one controlling her any longer. Mrs. Mallard is a prime example of women in marriages in the 19th century, and even some today. Unfortunately, they have to experience sexism from their husbands. Women are dominated by men in marriage and are expected to acquire the stereotypical gender roles.
The time frames presented by the two authors reveal the scene of women being considered as the weaker sex. The two stories, however, exemplify an inner longing of the feminine sex of independence and freedom from their husbands. It suggests an inherent ?soul? of the women to overcome the male domination by means of showing independence and the idea that they can live by themselves without the presence of husbands. In the life of Louise, it is her statement