The symbols of Story of an Hour link the protagonist with the pressures of her time period. This short story, published in 1894, written by Kate Chopin features a main character named Louise Mallard. Throughout the story, which takes place over the course of a single hour, Mrs. Mallard's weak heart along with her death symbolize the societal pressures of the time period, and depict the life of a 19th century woman.
In the 1800's, gender roles greatly affected the everyday lives of women, who were expected to become housewives, clean, and take care of children, whereas men were expected to work and provide an income for the family. The feeling that overwhelmed Mrs. Mallard is even described as, “…powerless as her two white slender hands would
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Mallard's weak heart symbolizes how women were perceived as fragile. Due to this, family and doctors treat her gently with the news, and “…great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death” (Chopin). Others assume that her husband dying would be a traumatizing event. However, she feels quite opposite. Mrs. Mallard feels liberated, as if the window to her new life had finally opened. She was free from the restriction of marriage. However, when she realizes her husband survived the train crash, the shock kills her. Mrs. Mallard dies of disappointment, not joy, as the window to her new life free of the restraint of marriage becomes slammed shut as her husband opens the door. Chopin could have easily ended the story on her short lived moment of happiness, but chose not to, as to represent a greater meaning. An entire life cycle takes place throughout the story, represented similarly to the way an hour takes place on a clock. Ms. Mallard, caught in a restraining marriage is freed by the news of the death of her husband, welcomed into the start of her new life. However, when her husband is found to be alive, her new life has lost what it needs to continue, resulting in her death. Chopin chose to kill Louise because the brief moment of happiness and relief that Louise felt for a moment was not a reality for women in this time period. Chopin uses the death of Ms. Mallard to illustrate how desperate women felt at the time, as a happy ending was often not the
The story of an Hour by Chopin is about Louise Mallard desire for freedom. Throughout her life Mrs. Mallard was incapable to leave her home due to a heart illness. The doctor explained how although a sudden shock could kill Louise she would be able to leave the house. Louise was beyond happy to finally be given the chance to leave her home. Brently Mallard did everything in his power to stop her from leaving by using the sickness as a justification. Mr. Mallard would only dedicate little time and affection to his wife. The newspaper had reported a railroad disaster in which Brently Mallard’s name appeared. Louise sister’s Josephine and Brently’s friend knowing of her heart condition gently broke the devastating news to her.
The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin is an immaculate illustration of how a short story can have the ability to make a considerable impact on an entire nation. Chopin manipulates her writing effectively with her outstanding applications of certain literary techniques. Moreover, these techniques such as pathos, irony and symbolism, amplify the intensity and overall impact women oppression had on Chopin and many other women during the late nineteenth century. In addition, the story overshadows the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard, and her persevering fight to overcome the mournful news regarding the death of her husband. She was informed about her husband's death by her sister Josephine, who told her in a rather gentle fashion which ultimately caused Mrs. Mallard to go to the hospital with an unfortunate affliction of heart trouble. Initially, Mrs. Mallard rhapsodically struggled in trying to cope with this news as it left her in a paralyzed state of sorrow but she then realized that she gained a great deal of freedom due to to her husband's death. Furthermore, Chopin leaves out many details within her text, which obligates the reader to fill in the gaps within Chopin’s iceberg imagery like writing and gain a perception of women’s mistreatment during the mid 1800’s.
Realism is an artistic movement that got its starts in the mid 19th century France and gained major popularity worldwide in the early 20th century. Written in response to another much more popular genre of the time, Realism rejects the far-fetched storytelling and exaggerated emotionalism of Romanticism and favors the more practical aspects of life. Because Realism attempts to create a realistic interpretation of life, it often covers subjects such as illness, sorrow, and death. Realism is not limited to literature either, rational artist would strive for accurate depictions of the world around them, in hopes of capturing “reality” as opposed to the glorified
My next source discusses the emotions that took place throughout the short story. When informed about her husband’s death, Mrs. Mallard is unaware to the beauty of life breaks down under the powerful impact of emotion. She thinks it worthless to continue her existence (Jamil 216). In the story the narrator states, “It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long” (Chopin 338). The narrator also points that Mrs. Mallard is not struck, as “many women” have been, by “a paralyzed inability” to accept the painful sense of loss. This “storm” that “haunts her body seems to reach her soul” ultimately purges her of the sufferance of a meaningless life, as it becomes motivation that leads to her new freedom (Jamil 216).
The short story “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is a famous piece of literature widely recognized throughout the entire literary world. It is about how a wife, Louise Mallard, hears the news of her husband's horrible train accident which ultimately led to his untimely death. The plot twist of this short story is that, in fact, her husband, Brently Mallard, is very much alive and comes home as if nothing happened. Mr. Mallard was not around the area of the accident or even knows of its occurrence. Which explains why he appeared home unscathed. The appearance of Mr. Mallard causes Mrs. Mallards supposed death. Kate Chopin fully illustrated that marriage isn’t always as blissful as people assume and believe it is to be. Also that
When it is revealed that she has “heart trouble”, her sister uses extreme caution when breaking the news about the death of Mrs. Mallard’s husband. Chopin makes use of certain things in the short story where things can be taken literally and figuratively. Mrs. Mallard’s heart condition can be looked at literally and figuratively because Chopin incorporates it as both a physical and symbolic problem. Mrs. Mallard did have mixed feeling about her marriage and the lack of freedom that she had. When Mrs. Mallard realizes that she has this
“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin was first published in 1894, during the Realism movement in America. Chopin was known for writing about the lives of women and their independence. The main theme found in “The Story of an Hour” is that of conformity/rebellion. This theme is enhanced by the use of several symbols found throughout the short story.
Throughout the short story, “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin uses imagery and symbolism with several different objects to further the theme and plot. Since the use of symbolism helps bring depth to the story without focusing on too much detail, readers can acquire a more complex idea on what they believe the author tries to convey throughout the story. As Chopin executes an underlying message behind her signs, she also reveals new traits and meanings of her character, Mrs. Mallard. Despite Chopin’s use of several symbols to advance the storyline, the open window exemplifies not only Mrs. Mallard’s realization of her new-found freedom, but her hope and happiness as well.
Kate Chopin “The Story of an Hour” is a tragic short story, the author Kate Chopin seem to have been making a very strong statement about women’s rights at that time.. Mrs.Mallard goes through so much in just one hour. She goes from being happy to sad, trapped to free and to alive and dead. The story take place in the 1800s where women didn't have the rights that they do now and Kate Chopin shows how life for some women were back than. From being trapped in house to family and friends assuming she was happy in her marriage.
“The Story of an Hour” was composed by American author Kate Chopin in 1894. The story depicts a period in time, specifically an hour, when Mrs. Mallard experiences a plethora of
The "The Story of an Hour was set in the late nineteenth century in the home of Louise Mallard.(Kate Chopin).It was written on April 19, 1894,by Kate Chopin. The theme "Many also focus on women revolt against conformity, often against gender
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.
The Story of an Hour One of the major themes in Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour is freedom. The short story follows the character Mrs. Mallard and they way she wrestles with different emotions after learning the sudden news that her husband has passed away in a terrible train accident. The author uses vivid imagery and metaphors such as the foreshadowing of Mrs. Mallard's heart trouble in the beginning of the story, the visualization of her future as she gazes out the open window, as well as the significance in her name, Louise. These literary devices illustrate the characters’ thoughts and feelings all through the theme of freedom.
Mrs. Mallard suffers from a heart condition; thus, her sister Josephine gently and carefully breaks the news of Mr. Mallard’s death. Richards, a close friend of Mr. Mallard, is the first to discover the news of Mr. Mallard’s railroad tragedy. When hearing the news, Mrs. Mallard collapses in grief into her sister’s arms and retreats upstairs into her room. While her sister begs Mrs. Mallard to open the door, Mrs. Mallard reflects on her feelings. She sinks into an armchair facing an open window noticing the “new spring life, the delicious breath of rain in the air, the peddler in the street crying his ware, the notes of a distant song which someone was singing and countless sparrows twittering in the eaves” (Chopin 556). This signifies a new blossoming life: a life that she would live for herself. Although her husband is loving, and she knows that she will weep again when she sees his dead body, she realizes how confined marriage is for her. Robert Evans, author of “Literary Contexts in Short Stories: Kate Chopin's “‘The Story of an Hour,’” claims that Mrs. Mallard looks forward to a bright future rather than a dreadful life. She becomes aware that she must live alone rather than being imprisoned by marriage. As these thoughts circulate in her mind, she keeps whispering, “Free! Body and soul free!” (Chopin 557).By conveying the story through Mrs. Mallard’s thoughts, Chopin portrays how women actually feel compared to what they present in society. While Josephine and society expect Mrs. Mallard to be grieving, Mrs. Mallard is actually looking forward to the days ahead of her: “Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own” (Chopin 557). When Mrs. Mallard discovers that the news of her husband’s death was inaccurate, Mrs. Mallard dies from a heart attack after seeing her husband alive. The
The story of an hour by Kate Chopin introduces us to Mrs. Mallard as she reacts to her husband’s death. In this short story, Chopin portrays the complexity of Mrs. Mallard’s emotions as she is saddened yet joyful of her loss. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” argues that an individual discover their self-identity only after being freed from confinement. The story also argues that freedom is a very powerful force that affects mental or emotional state of a person. The story finally argues that only through death can one be finally freed.