Kate Chopin expresses feeling throughout “The Story of an Hour” as symbolism takes an effect toward the story. The death of Mrs. Mallard’s husband leads to her despair, but one look out of her open window changes her sadness into joy.The window shows her all the beautiful things that are within the world, and that is when she realizes that she not bound to her husband any longer. This open window of hers creates symbolism as it indicates her new found freedom from her husband. Symbolism takes effect at this point as it helps create the theme of the story, helps strengthen the irony, and builds up the conflict as her new feelings start to emerge. At the beginning of the story Mrs. Mallard has been told of her husband’s death, but even with this depressing news she manages to find a sense of joy through it all. This is because the time period of this story was during the Victorian era, where women did not have all the same rights they do in today’s century, especially when they are …show more content…
Mallard’s husband is indeed alive, and as the readers read the story again, it is already known that Mr. Mallard is alive and Mrs. Mallard believed that the years ahead of her were full of Spring and Summer days on her own.Mrs. Mallard’s freedom from her window and her joy of it is now known as irony. Symbolism takes an effect to strengthen that irony because her ideas of freedom are not what she expected, and she did not know that her husband were still alive. Another example of irony that takes place in the story was when Mrs. Mallard’s sister Josephine worries to tell Mrs. Mallard the terrible news of Mr. Mallard because, as mentioned in the beginning of the story, she has heart problems and they thought she wouldnt take the news so well and it will trouble her heart. This is an example of irony because although she was sad at first, she then found her freedom and was not troubled at all, more of very happy
In this story, the two irony’s that we’re used are the situational (or cosmic) irony and the dramatic irony, because when Mrs. Mallard had gotten the news that her husband was killed in the railroad disaster of course she cried, but when she went into her room to probably take in all that was going on, that’s when her true feelings came out. She felt a sense of relief and a sense of freedom in the fact that soon she will be able to just please herself and not have to deal with someone else’s demands. But come to find out the roles reversed when she went downstairs with her sister and that front door opened, her husband walked right in with no harm done to him. Out of shock, she collapsed and died. These ironies are related because nothing
The symbols and imagery used by Kate Chopin's in “The Story of an Hour” give the reader a sense of Mrs. Mallard’s new life appearing before her through her view of an “open window” (para. 4). Louise Mallard experiences what most individuals long for throughout their lives; freedom and happiness. By spending an hour in a “comfortable, roomy armchair” (para.4) in front of an open window, she undergoes a transformation that makes her understand the importance of her freedom. The author's use of Spring time imagery also creates a sense of renewal that captures the author's idea that Mrs. Mallard was set free after the news of her husband's death.
Irony is a useful device for giving stories many unexpected twists and turns. In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," irony is used as an effective literary device. Situational irony is used to show the reader that what is expected to happen sometimes doesn't. Dramatic irony is used to clue the reader in on something that is happening that the characters in the story do not know about. Irony is used throughout Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" through the use of situational irony and the use of dramatic irony.
Mallard is unsatisfied with the limitations of her marriage, however, like Desiree, she is submissive and believes that the end of her duties as a wife will come at the death of her husband and her freedom will be given to her. Also, she experiences little or no feelings because of her marriage. This is shown when Mrs. Mallard, after hearing of her husband’s death, cries, but ironically she senses a moment of euphoric pleasure at the awaiting freedom in her remaining life. “She saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely.” Mrs. Millard is now aware of things that were not noticeable before such as: the beginning of spring, patches of blue sky through clouds, the twittering of sparrows and the smelling of the pending rain, which may signify the nature of her freedom. Mrs. Mallard would now be able to live her life outside the home and find her identity.
Upon hearing the news, Mrs. Mallard is overwhelmed with grief, which swiftly turned into hope. Mrs. Mallard’s reaction upon receiving the news of her husband 's death is considered to be unusually by society’s standards. In the beginning of the story it is revealed that Mrs, Mallard suffers heart problems; however, when it is revealed that her husband is dead her heart is relieved. She was thrilled that she was able to be her own person again. It was revealed through her reflection on her marriage that she “had loved him - sometimes” (16). Mrs. Mallard overcame is quick to overcome her grief after the realization that she has been set free of her horrible marriage. As a married woman, Mrs. Mallard is miserable, but as a widow she feels a sense of relief that she is free of her marital vows. At the end of the story Mrs. Mallard dies of a failing heart which it ironic because typically a woman would be filled with joy to find out
As a result, the use of symbolism helped the illustration of independence as an essential piece to joy. Furthermore, after Mrs. Mallard’s husband, Brently Mallard, enters the house and revealing to everyone that he is not dead, Mrs. Mallard dies from the “joy that kills” (2). This suggests that Mrs. Mallard did not die from the “joy” of seeing her husband alive, but because of having the joy of independence that she had achieved when thinking that her husband had died taken away from her. Having her freedom separated from her caused her death because she had “opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome” (2), implying that she had accepted her new independence and now there is no going back. Along with this, earlier in the story she was contemplating the “blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature” (2) and compared this action to a “crime” (2), indicating that she frowns upon the acts of subjection and doesn’t desire for her husband to be alive as she had been oppressed by him.
Mrs. Mallard death is a symbol for all of the women in this day of age, in the sense of treatment and love they have towards their significant others. She loved her husband dearly that when she saw her husband was alive she literally died of being so happy and her heart couldn’t handle it” When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease-of joy that kills”, she represents all the other women out there that are going through the same treatment. The women around this time frame, where always
Mrs. Mallard is a young woman living life day by day with heart disease, insecurities and a broken marriage. Mrs. Mallard has to live with heart disease as well as her many insecurities and a husband whom she is not sure that she loves. This is not an attractive way to live and her seemingly countless hardships eventually take her life. Due to the circumstances under which Mrs. Mallard lived, I can easily state that she is a sympathetic character in the story. Throughout the short story the difficulties that encompass Mrs. Mallard seemingly never end.
Mallard has a heart condition and her husband recently has died. She feels depleted at first, but then she starts to not feel sorry as she realizes she has more freedom. However, Mr. Mallard comes in through the door being alive this whole time and everyone is in shock. Once Mrs. Mallard see her husband she is in shock and passes away at the sight.
Throughout the short story, Mallard’s actions characterize her indirectly. When she is first informed of her husband’s supposed death, she seems to be distraught
While Mrs. Mallard remembers Mr. Mallard as a kind and tender man who loved her, she also viewed him as the oppression that marriage put upon women and men. While Mr. Mallard was kind and loving to his wife, he was also controlling and overbearing. Josephine, Mrs. Mallard’s sister and Richards, Mr. Mallard’s friend is there to break the news of Mr. Mallard’s death. Richards has learned of Mr. Mallard’s death at the newspaper office, not wanting to believe the information that was received, Richards waited for the new to be delivered for a second time before enlisting the help of Josephine. They are both there to support Mrs. Mallard and their support shows that they care for Mr. and Mrs. Mallard.
Mrs. Mallard is the main character throughout this short story. Although she has a bad heart, she survived the news of her husband’s death. She tends to cry a lot and wants to be in a room by herself a lot While alone, she does a lot of thinking and decides that she is glad her husband dies; however, she is scared about being independent again. When she has made her decision, she leaves the room to find her husband alive and is so shocked she dies. Mr. Brently Mallard is Mrs. Mallard’s husband who is appears at the end of the story.
Richard’s quick motion to screen him from the view of his wife.” (p.20) This situation is known as dramatic irony because Mr. Mallard had no idea what his wife just experienced, joy at his death. The reader and the people at the Mallard’s home are the only ones aware of the entire
Just like Situational Irony there a plenty of examples in this story. One huge example is after Mrs,Mallard finds out her husband is dead. She goes into her room alone, where she sits in her chair and stares out the window, and starts repeating the words “Free,Free,Free”. She is actually happy that Brently is dead. This irony was important because it showed us she truly felt about her husband and their marriage. If this was not in the story, i think as the reader we wouldn’t like Mrs.Mallard if we found out how she felt in a different
Scattered throughout the story are several examples of situational irony. Situational irony, “involves a discrepancy between what is expected to happen and what actually happens. Situational irony occurs when the exact opposite of what is meant to happen, happens” (Pandya). One example of situational irony occurs after Richards tells Mrs. Mallard the news of Mr. Mallard’s death; she walks upstairs to her room to be alone. Although the reader expects Mrs. Mallard to grieve more, she does not.