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Story Of An Hour Isolationism

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Ariel Spencer
D. Reed
English 1123/ English IV
25 April 2016
The Story of an Hour
The Story of an Hour, first published in 1894, is a short story by Kate Chopin. Kate Chopin was an American author born in St. Louis in 1850. She started writing at the age 39 were most of her themes were about class relations, relationships, and feminine sexuality shocked in her 19th century readers. During this time period women wasn’t entitled to power or a say so in anything like women do today. The average woman during this time stayed at home, took care of the family and tended the house all while the men were out working. Even though females had feelings, their feelings were never heard because women lived their lives in silence. Since Kate Chopin lived …show more content…

Mrs. Mallard, the main character, desires the freedom to explore the world on her own. At the beginning of the story we learn that Mrs. Mallard, who is fragile at the time, has heart conduction. Because of this heart problem great care is taken to tell the news gently that her husband died in a train accident. Mrs. Mallard first reaction was to weep with abandonment. This shows that she was truly sad that her husband was gone and the life she has known up to now is changing in a blink of an eye. As said by Mustafa Asian, Mrs. Mallard feels a sense of “sorrow” because her husband was the only one she had and as a couple they were “interdependent” on each other. (Mustafa) There was true sadness at this point of the story therefore readers can see that Mrs. Mallard’s marriage wasn’t horrible. As she goes to her room to grief she sits in a chair and stares out a window. This window is very symbolic because things are now opening to her, her life is about to open up, and her mind is about to open to new ideas. She finally realizes she should form a more “novel” life within herself. (Mustafa) Now that her husband is gone there are new opportunities ahead of her. While she is looking outside the window she hears birds, she sees the blue sky, and a lot more positive imagery. Winter has left and spring has arrived. The death of Mrs. Mallard’s husband is represented by winter and spring is her sense of freedom she feels. This shows …show more content…

Mallard walks down the stairs with her sister, she has joy in her eyes. To Mrs. Mallard’s surprise the front door opens and Mr. Brently, Mrs. Mallard’s husband, walks in. At that moment she collapses down the stairs and the shock kills her. The thought of losing everything she has just gained in the last hour disappoints her. She loses all hope of freedom when she sees his face. This is too much to handle and she knows she would never be free. In that hour Mrs. Mallard has grasped the world could’ve been a different and free place and that she can live in it anyway she chooses without being depended on her husband. She thinks she has gains freedom, independence, and individuality but it was soon taken away from her.
As we can see Chopin’s main character Mrs. Mallard progresses confidently throughout the course of this short story. Mrs. Mallard recognizes and deals with her husband’s death not with grief, which is what would be expected, but with excitement and happiness; Her husband’s death changes her perspective on life and her goals. Her general happiness excels and becomes more obvious throughout the ending of Chopin’s “Story of an Hour.” In the big picture of the change we see in Mrs. Mallard it is evident that she changes into a more confident and independent woman, if only for a short

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