The Story Of An Hour Critical Analysis Essay

The Story of an Hour, by Kate Chopin, is a wonderful short story filled with many different peculiar twists and turns. Written in 1894, the author tells a tale of a woman who learns of her husband’s death, but comes to find joy in it. Many of the things Kate Chopin writes about in this story symbolize something more than just the surface meaning. Through this short story, told in less than one thousand one hundred words, Kate Chopin illustrates deeper meanings through many different forms of symbolism such as the open window in the bedroom, Mrs. Louise Mallard’s heart trouble, and Chopin’s physical description of Mrs. Mallard.

The story “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, written in 1894, is about a woman gaining independence and experiencing a new freedom, due to the death of her husband. The topic of the story was rather scandalous at the end of the 19th century. Women had no control over their property and weren’t allowed to request a divorce.

Mallard’s love for her husband to be genuine. “What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being” (202) serves as evidence that Mrs. Mallard did not cherish her memories with her husband, but yearned for and valued her independence. Considering, this story was published during a time frame when women's rights were oppressed. Women were treated as property of their male counterparts in the patriarchal society because they were destined from birth to serve men. They had to adhere to men’s rules which were implemented by society because women were worthless if they did not attain the role of a housewife or mother. Women had to depend on men to provide for them even if they did not love them because they knew they could not deviate from the social norm. Also, there were arranged marriages to ensure that women were married young, so they would not be among the minority of women who were not married with children. With that being said, Mrs. Mallard married her husband so she would not deviate from the patriarchal society’s rules. Therefore, she died when her husband walked through the door because she could not bear to continue a life of misery to a man whom she did not love unconditionally but to only satisfy society. She thought it was pointless to live her life knowing she would never have independence until the

“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is a short story originally published in Vogue in 1894. Chopin was writing for women throughout the United States. She wanted to draw attention to female repression in the late 19th century. At the time the battle for women’s rights, specifically women’s suffrage, was in full swing. While Chopin’s work was not directly responsible for bestowing women’s rights in the United States, she did write an attention-grabbing story that has a well-integrated, discrete declaration on the implications of the repression of women in her time; one such implication being her inability to write directly about her beliefs.

“…she was as unhappy as though she had married beneath her; for women have no caste or class, their beauty, grace, and charm serving them for birth or family, their natural delicacy, their instinctive elegance, their nimbleness of wit, are their only mark of rank, and put the slum girl on a level with the highest lady in the land.” (Maupassant) Throughout the course of literature, the female character portrayed as the stereotypical helpless, subservient, and troublesome figure. Often in literature as well as in life, women impersonate a trapped marriage, living out a simple housewife persona. “The Story of an Hour” is a short story written by Kate Chopin in April 19, 1894. This short tale

“The Story of an Hour,” by Kate Chopin is a story about Louise Mallard, who finds out that her husband is potentially dead. When Louise is given the news she weeps. When she stops crying she goes to her room alone and sits staring out the window. She realizes the freedom that comes with her husband's death and plans out her long life in freedom. After her moment of realization in her room, someone is at the door, it is her husband. In her response of her husband being alive, Louise she dies at that moment. Chopin uses setting and third person omniscient point of view to show women's inherent oppression in marriage.

The Story of an Hour Author Kate Chopin, the story of hour is a short story about a young women named Mrs. Mallard that has a heart disease. Mrs. Mallard had a complicated life with her husband Mr. Mallard. When Mrs. Mallard finds out about her husband’s death, she couldn’t believe it and started crying in the arms of her sister.

The story starts off with, Mrs.Mallard’s sister, Josephine and Mr. Mallard’s friend, Richards come to the Mallard's residence to tell Mrs.Mallard, Louise, that her husband has died in a train accident. However they have to tell her in a soft and gentle way because, we learn that Mrs. Mallard has a Heart Condition. “Knowing that Mrs.Mallard was afflicted with heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.” (Chopin 201) This quote is significant

The Story of an Hour Over years the roles of women and their rights have drastically changed. They have been dominated, trapped and enslaved by their marriage. Womens have slowly evolved into individuals that have rights and could stand for their own. “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin might be a short story, but it showed and explained how women's felt obligated to live and be with their husbands, despite the fact that they were unhappy with them.

Anaida Osipova Dr. Kim Palmore English 1C 23 May 2016 The Story of Oppression and Psychological Effects The short story “The Story Of An Hour” written by Kate Chopin is a powerful story about a woman, Mrs. Mallard who is devastated when she is given the horrible news that her husband just passed away in a train crash.

The Story of an Hour Common knowledge of women’s rights in the 1800’s were that marriages were male dominated. Women had no rights only that which were to obey to their oppressive husbands and take care of children. Marriages are not always about mutual love between a man and a woman but especially during this time era it was more about monetary comfort and social acceptance. Mrs. Mallard was a young and had fair calm face that indicated repression first learns of her husband's death and is overcome with emotions she weeps in the arms of her sister before returning to her room alone. Which symbolizes and foreshadows her freedom which Mrs. Mallard will soon realize.

The story was set during the spring season and plays out in Mrs. Mallard’s house. Within the house, all characters, with the exception of Mr. Mallard, were immobile. Specifically, this signifies death of freedom. Freedom and lack of it as well as time are the major themes highlighted in the text under consideration.

Mrs. Mallard has many conflicts in this story, Her first conflict is what to do as a woman that just lost her husband in the late 19th century, and the second is what to do as a newly-free woman in the 19th century.

As the title states, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, is a story that takes place in a very brief period of time. The story revolves around a married woman, Louise Mallard, who is troubled both mentally and physically. Several other characters are present, such as Josephine, Mr. Mallard, and Richard, but play a limited role in the story. Mrs. Mallard is used to bring about a feminist theme in a time where women were viewed as invalidated until taking a husband. This story makes an effort to show people that not all women are pleased with the role they are expected to play at this time. Some seek an independent life free from a man’s control and society’s mold. After reading this story I was left wondering if the writer was influenced to write this story by her own life experiences.

The Mallard’s relationship seems to be a caring yet troublesome bond that has a sense of deliverance. Mr. Mallard looks at Mrs. Mallard “with love upon her” (121). He has to be strong and supportive of the couple. Though they love each other, Mr. Mallard appears to be overprotective. He takes care of his wife while she suffers with heart trouble. He goes to get whatever the couple needs. She loves her husband,