How Does The Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin Use Diction

770 Words2 Pages

Christine Kittrell
Professor Gokey
HUM 111
23 September 2014
The Story of an Hour

Identity is having a sense of independence and freedom for yourself. The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin is a short story about a sick wife who learns that her husband is “dead” and begin to reflect on her life with having her own freedom until she dies because of the return of her husband is a shock. Chopin uses symbolism and diction to show the importance of someone having their own identity. Kate Chopin uses diction once Mrs. Mallard finds out the death of her husband. She realizes that it is time for her to develop her own identity. “Spring days, summer days and all sorts of days that would be her own (paragraph 16). There is diction in the words “spring” …show more content…

The open window represents Louise being open to a new change in her life and with the window being open it shows warmth which suggest new life instead of the cold from winter which signifies death. “There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable roomy armchair.” (Paragraph 4) The arm chair in front of the window exemplifies Mrs. Mallard feeling the love and warmness she has been yearning for from her husband because he never showed her that. Through the window “she could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life.” (Paragraph 5) which embodies something new happening in her life now that her husband is “gone”. This is Louise’s new life without Mr. Mallard there beginning to come to the light. The scenery of “the delicious breath of rain…” (paragraph 5) signifies the calmness after the storm when the sun finally returns with the storm being Louise’s marriage. Kate Chopin is using this to refer to the “death” of Mr. Mallard and the new joyous life Mrs. Mallard will have now that she is free of him. Heard through the window as well was “the notes of a distant song which someone was singing” (paragraph 5) and the “countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves”.

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