Story Of An Hour Literary Analysis

The Story of an Hour," by Kate Chopin is the tragic story of a woman whose newfound position as a widow gives her strength. She develops a sense of freedom as she embraces her husband's death as an opportunity to establish her own identity. The tragedy is when her newfound identity gets stripped away as the appearance of her husband reveals that he is still alive. The disappointment from this tragedy kills her with a heart attack symbolizing the many conflicts that she faced throughout the story. The conflicts the character faces within herself and society show that the social norms for women were suppressing to their strength and individuality as human beings.

In the Victorian era women were treated unfairly. Women did not have any freedom or independence. In two stories I read called “The Story of an Hour” and “The Yellow Wallpaper”, had a setting taking place during the Victoria era. Both readings assimilated on the feministic interpretations of women repression and liberation. The stories had women characters that felt trapped in their marriages and wanted to be free. The women lived in a men dominant society and were treated inferiorly to their husbands. In “The Story of the Hour” a woman name Mrs. Mallard felt trap in her marriage that she no longer wanted to be in. She struggled with her marriage because she wanted to have her own identity. In “The Yellow Wallpaper”, a nameless woman

Kate Chopin's short story "The Story of an Hour" presents a young married woman named Mrs. Louise Mallard, who has a "heart trouble"(26). Suddenly, Mrs. Mallard receives a news that her husband, Brently Mallard has died in a train accident. She weeps and ascends to her room. Within a short period of time, she is able to fully come to terms with her husband's sudden death. Instead of mourning over his death, she feels joy and excitement. She can now act as herself and has the freedom she is longing for. Ironically, her husband comes home alive and she dies of the realization that her freedom and identity will be taken away again. The imageries that Chopin uses help the readers imagine Mrs. Mallard's excitement and the new life waiting for her.

During the late 1800s, women were expected to be at home wives that only cooked, cleaned the house, and took care of the children. Mrs. Wright from “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell and Mrs. Mallard from “A Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin both felt miserably trapped because of this expectation of women. At this time, any woman or man who spoke against this expected code of conduct were seen as outcasts. A woman could never get a job during this time period, and any man who tried to support a woman getting a job would lose his social standing. In these two works, the authors expressed how the main character, not only wanted freedom, but also accomplished that desired freedom. Kate Chopin’s “A Story of an Hour” and Susan Glaspell “Trifles” both expressed similarities and differences in tone, symbolism, and irony.

“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin tells a story with a negative view of marriage by expressing to the reader a woman who is clearly ecstatic that her spouse had just died. This is negative view is expressed through the language in the story. For example, Kate Chopin uses the language to describe Louise’s emotions as she goes between numbness and extreme happiness by her new freedom she had acquired.

Upon reading the letter, Armand froze. Tears are running down his face as he stands, immobilized by the realization of what he’s done. He ruined everything for himself. His wife, his poor baby; they’re all gone. Guilt overflows his soul as he quivers in shock, the letter falling out of his hand like a bird shedding a feather - slowly, while also losing a part of himself.

In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” the main setting takes place in the 1800’s, this is a time where men are dominant and the idea of self-independence is not something often thought about. The minor setting of a railroad accident in the 1800’s set the tone for the roles of the sexes set forth in society. The major setting being Mrs. Mallard’s house after hearing news of her husband’s death continues the theme of status and roles being important but it also sets the reader up for the thought of shift of power. Kate Chopin uses irony, tone, setting and theme to focus on the concept of women being able to accept self-independence and being separate from the obligation and oppression of marriage.

Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” employs a narration style that allows insight into Mrs.Mallard’s plight that is not limited to the protagonist’s point of view. As the reader scans the page from an unrestricted, omniscient vantage point, they can witness the cascading transformation of a women bound to the institution of marriage, wary of even the idea of freedom, to a woman who inhales with the reader and seems to expand with a confidence and near breathlessness that she and the reader experience together. This intimacy between protagonist and reader is accomplished by Chopin’s use of third person narration, which better conveys Mrs.Mallard’s plight than first person narration permit. Within the first sentence, the advantages of third

Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” takes place in the late 1800’s. In this period of time woman had significantly less freedom and rights than they do now. The textbook mentions women’s roles in their households and how busy they were kept every day. Women were responsible for clothing, food, laundry and much more back then (Women 520). The text states, “By 1920, only 6.5% of married white women in the United States worked outside the home” (Women 520). Chopin herself did not start her literary career until after her husband’s death in 1884 (Chopin 524).

The first president of the United States, George Washington, once said, “Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.” Demonstrating an impulse towards freedom and how pleasant it feels not to be repressed by an individual. In the same way, Kate Chopin demonstrated the same oppressive argument on her analytical composition “The Story of an Hour.” It could be considered an excellent piece of literature, because Chopin inspirational work included several rhetorical elements. Therefore, “The Story of an Hour” is considered a credible literary work; it contains some predominant literary elements such as point of view, symbolism, and irony.

In The Story of a Hour by Katie Chopin, a woman deals within internal conflicts with facing the reality of her time period and how the view women. Mrs. Mallard is a married women with kids. She believe some her dark dreams will come true when she gets the news of her husband death. Allowing her own ambitions to take over in her head. Mrs . Mallards sister comes to her with the news that her husband had died on a train accident.

“The Story of An Hour” was written by Kate Chopin on April 19, 1894, and was published in Vogue Magazine later that year. Chopin’s short story takes place in the Mallard home where Louise Mallard has just heard the news of the passing of her husband, Brently Mallard. A tone of a conflicted self-discovery begins to unfold throughout the story as Louise begins to contemplate life with no husband. The purpose of the story is to understand Louise’s inner struggle and to comprehend her newfound appreciation for herself and the possibilities that lie ahead as a widow. Kate Chopin uses various forms of figurative language to bring this short story to life. Also, Chopin’s use of symbolism

Mrs. Millard in “The Story of an Hour” faces the inner psychological strains of women who were suppressed and underrated by the social standards of the time.

"The Story of an Hour" was written by Kate Chopin in the year 1894, April 19. Originally this story was published as “The Dream of an Hour”, and later reprinted as "The Story of an Hour" in St. Louis Life. She was born on February 8, 1851 and started her fiction writer career in 1888. Her prose style was at all times coherent as well as unadorned. During her times, she indicates that the role of women in marriage was vulnerable as the unequal marriage granted men the right to own as well as control women. As a result, women lost their identities, making most of them to struggle in their marriages. Chopin argues that they wanted liberty, but they had limited power. For that reason, women’s susceptible

“The Story Of An Hour,” by Kate Chopin, is a short story about a woman who is mourning the death of her husband at the beginning of the story. She finds out that he’s dead from a misleading newspaper article. Suddenly a overwhelming feeling of happiness surrounds her aura and she is enlightened. It was an experience that some would say a self realization, she was not happy with the marriage she is trapped in and was content of the fall of her husband. Even though a woman without her man is seen as dependent and not very respectable, it didn’t bother her. She was free and that’s all that mattered to her. As the story goes on Louise the wife who has lost her husband wasn’t able to compose her emotion, too much was happening to a woman with a weak heart . As the story comes to an end there is a sudden knock on the door, Louise was on her knees and in terrible shape. Surprisely, at the door was Louise’s husband. Louise had a fragile heart and couldn’t take the pressure she was dealt with, it turns out her heart died at the sight of her own husband. Chopin portrays how oppressive the patriarchal expectations were for women at the time.