The two stories of “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and “Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver are similar yet differ in a way. The biggest and most noticeable similarity is the irony that these stories consist of. Both of these stories can be made apparent of the horrific ironic endings. However, these two stories’ writing styles differ in many ways.“Popular Mechanics” is apparently written using minimalism ideas, where “The Story of an Hour,” has some minimalism but is more of a classic short story. The two stories could be categorized as minimalism stories but written in different styles to portray different meanings. There are many comparisons between the two stories but they also reveal different ideas and meanings.
Carver’s story
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The two tug back and forth for the baby, and in the end the two both yank at the baby closing the story with, “In this manner, the issue was decided,” (Carver 2). This leaves the reader up in the air on what happened, the reader is …show more content…
Reading this story you are given background information and details about the main story unlike “Popular Mechanics” therefore giving it more of a classic short story feeling. This story is about a woman by the name of Mrs. Louise Mallard who receives word that her husband has died in a trainwreck while away on business. In the opening of this story you are told that Mrs. Mallard has a heart condition and that any emotional breaking news would be bad and to be caring and gentle. When she received the news that her husband had passed and the news was a shock, she went to her room alone to weep and sorrow over his passing. As the news became processed, she became less sad and more relieved of her husband's passing. Mrs. Mallard felt as though she had been set free and the weight of the world was let off of her shoulders. She finally left her bedroom and returned to her sister’s company after this. But after leaving and walking downstairs that weight of the world fell onto her as her husband entered the front door. The shock of her husband’s presence and her failing, weak heart killed her and similarly to the other story, it ends with great irony, reading, “When the doctors came, they said she had died of heart disease- of joy that kills,” (Chopin
as a weak charcter as soon as the story begins there is a statement; " Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death."(Chopin) Not only because
This loss of happiness and freedom caused Mrs. Mallard’s heart to give out and she died. The doctor said “She had died of heart disease – of joy that kills” (Chopin). Society believes she
Mrs. Mallards emotions were so high from day dreaming about how she was free that wend she found out that her husband wasn’t dead, it was so devastating that she died from her heart weakness “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease--of the joy that kills” (Chopin). Miss. Brill in the other hand was hit with her harsh reality by two young children “But why? Because of that stupid old thing at the end there?" asked the boy. "Why does she come here at all— who wants her?
In the short story “The Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin, the character Mrs. Mallard is a grieving wife who pictures her life by herself. While grieving her husband’s death, she is thinking about being free and independent. Mrs. Mallard and women in the days where they depended on their husbands to provide for the family, while they stayed home and took care of the house. “But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would be hers absolutely.” (Chopin 548) She was a sympathetic character who loved her husband but is ready to be free. Mrs. Mallard’s reactions to Mr. Mallard’s death is justified by the way she grieves for him. The way she is dealing with the loss of her husband is admirable, even though in the end it kills her.
However, the story ends with Mrs Mallard’s freedom being ripped away from her as she dies from shock upon seeing her husband walk through the door. When the doctors come to pronounce her dead, they said “she had died of heart disease, … the joy that kills”. This is foreshadowed that the beginning of the story when it is said that Mrs Mallard “was afflicted with heart trouble”. Also this use of irony suggests how the male ideology of the doctors is foolish and misplaced.
“Knowing Ms. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break it to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.” Her sister and husband’s friend Richard had to be careful when telling Ms. Mallard about her husband’s because it may give her problems with her heart. Ms. Mallard had to lock herself in her room and look out the window to calm down after hearing the news. She even knew that death is inevitable.
In the short story, “The Story of an Hour,” author Kate Chopin presents the character of Mrs. Louis Mallard. She is an unhappy woman trapped in her discontented marriage. Unable to assert herself or extricate herself from the relationship, she endures it. The news of the presumed death of her husband comes as a great relief to her, and for a brief moment she experiences the joys of a liberated life from the repressed relationship with her husband. The relief, however, is short lived. The shock of seeing him alive is too much for her bear and she dies. The meaning of life and death take on opposite meaning for Mrs. Mallard in her marriage because she lacked the courage to stand up for herself.
The end to this story enhances Chopin’s explanation because once she finds out that her husband is not dead it puts her in so big of a shock that she dies herself. The story gives a reason for her death which said, “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease – of joy that kills”( para, 23).
Mrs. Mallard learns that her husband really didnt die in the train accident and she herself ends up dying of shock. Chopin leads the readers to think that she would rather die then be forced to live under the bond of marriage. " when the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease-of joy that kills" ( Chopin, 1894, 61).
The author portrays, “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease—of joy that kills” (672). This quote suggests that Mrs. Mallard merely dies of a heart attack, but she dies from the joy of her husband’s death being wrong. Within an hour Mrs. Mallard gains full freedom over her life and loses it all within the short duration of an hour. A plan for Mrs. Mallard’s life was to live for herself and not for her husband, but when he comes home she dies from the shock of how fast she loses her newly gained freedom.
Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” is the liberating yet tragic tale of Louise Mallard. It is about Louise Mallard finding independence after hearing news of her husband’s supposed death, and later suddenly dying upon his return. In the story, Chopin does not express the true reason for Mrs. Mallard’s abrupt death, but few insights throughout the narration give indication of the actual reason. The last sentence tells that the doctors said “she had died of heart disease—of joy that kills” (217) which is ironic in the fact that Mrs. Mallard did die of heart disease, but it was not the arrival of joy, but rather the loss of it that caused the imminent end of her life. During the course of the time Mrs. Mallard spends in her room reflecting on her husband’s death, we observe as she goes through different stages of self-discovery: from a grieving widow, to the forbidden satisfaction of her newly found freedom, and ultimately to the acceptance of her situation which elates her as she descends the staircase with her sister in her final moments.
The short story has many paragraphs that are two to three sentences long. This story covers from Mrs. Mallards learning her husband’s death to his unexpected return. Chopin creates this image of sadness with Mrs. Mallard husband’s death and Mrs. Mallard’s heart condition. While Mrs. Mallard is sobbing, she finds happiness in her husband’s death, which is unlikely of any stories of death. The tone of the story shifts from sadness to happiness then sadness again when Mrs. Mallard dies of shock upon her husband’s unexpected arrival home.
In “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin describes the series of emotions a married woman with a heart condition, Mrs. Mallard, endures after hearing about the death of her husband, Mr. Mallard. She assumes that she will be a mournful widow, but she ends up silently rejoicing. It turns out that she was not happily married and the thought of freedom from her attachments of marriage gave her
In “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin describes to her readers a young woman’s response to her husband’s death, or at least his presumed death. The opinions readers will draw from this story will vary from person to person due to personal experiences. The experience and wisdom that I have gained through the trails and tribulations of my life help me to understand, relate, and even despise Mrs. Mallard’s character. On one hand, I feel pity for Mrs. Mallard. I think she felt trapped in a situation that she found to be inescapable. She felt lonely, restless, and did not know how to help herself. Yet, on the other hand, I do not feel sorry for
In this manner, the issue was decided.” These lines leave a lot up to be interpreted. Did they just rip the baby in half, or did one of the parents get the child? They both could’ve easily let the baby slip and fall by accident. Carver was very good with leaving the story in the unknown. The back and forth of the baby could be meaning the back and forth of their relationship. This is a scenario many people have endured. This isn’t a made up situation, this story relates to the average joe or the real world people.