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Story of an hour by kate chopin
Story of an hour by kate chopin
Critically appreciate the story of an hour by Kate Chopin
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In Kate Chopin’s short story ‘The Story of an Hour’, she picks at feminist issues through the symbolism she uses. Over and over again Chopin shows how Louise Mallard’s husband has made her feel entrapped in her life. Written in throws of the women’s suffrage movement, Chopin took some of the ideas spread by the movement and symbolises it in her writing to show more people the oppression women faced. In the beginning of the story, Chopin refers to Louise as Mrs. Mallard, giving her the appearance of a basic housewife who hides behind her husband; waiting on him hand and foot. When in reality she is much more than that, but is simply being held back by her husband’s plans for her, and society’s view on how women should act and how they should …show more content…
Mallard, that is because she doesn’t feel like is being referred to as a housewife, but as a human being with real ideas and feeling, “ ‘Louise, open the door! I beg.’ [Louise responded], ‘Go away. I will not make myself ill’(Chopin 222). When referred to as Mrs. Mallard she does not ever respond with any sort of movement or the slightest noise. Louise shows her suffrage just based on the way she reacted to finding out about her husband’s death. At first she has the normal reaction of when you have lost a loved one, sobbing, and inability to function, but as she thought about it more her attitude changed. “[Louise] said it over and over under her breath: ‘Free, free, free!” (222). Louise at first seemed almost scared that someone would hear her, but she soon realized that it didn’t matter if people heard what she wanted to say, because she had rights and she can say what she wants when she wants. When Mr. Mallard walks in the door and Louise just dies, it shows how oppressed, and trapped she felt in her place in her own home. Her husband caused her so much stress that it literally killed her. Louise had felt free and like herself when she thought Mr. Mallard was dead, but when it turned out he wasn’t actually dead she was right back to where she had started and her body knew that was not where they wanted to be so her heart, who had stopped loving her husband years before, stopped working all
Much of what Howard has to say about Chopin’s protagonists is appropriate. Her criticism operates from the standpoint that “marriage, said Chopin’s world, was the goal of every woman’s life; service to her husband and her children her duties, passionlessness and submission her assumed virtues, selflessness her daily practice, and self sacrifice her pleasure” (1). Mrs. Mallard definitely lives in a world where these gender values abound. Chopin, for example, describes Mrs. Mallard’s face as one “ whose lines bespoke repression” (439). This is obviously a direct reference to the submission Mrs. Mallard has had to yield up to the patriarchy thus far. She has always had a “powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature” (440). Her husband’s will is describ...
Chopin used the archetype of “the oppressed citizen” to show the state of society during the time she wrote “A Story of an Hour”. During that time women were the oppressed citizen throughout Louisiana as stated in the Cultural context, the patriarchal code favored the husband leaving many women at the mercy of their husbands and without a voice. Mrs. Mallard was like many women during this time completely depended on her husband and constricted by the laws during that time.
First, Louise’s husband overarches the whole narrative and provides Louise with the impetus to desire freedom. Several narrative examples point to his (and indeed, society at the time’s) overbearing and controlling nature toward women. Louise cannot help but think that “There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature.” Although broadly philosophical of civilization as a whole at the time, within the context of the story this quote paints her husband as insensitive and controlling, making him a figure of her entrapment. Louise’s musings about a future without her husband makes his death a symbol of freedom. Prior to moving downstairs for the climax of the story, Louise prays hoping “that life will be long.” She remembers only yesterday she dreaded the thought of a long life. As of this moment, she accepts a reality where she became free. Consequently, the appearance of her unharmed husband after her grandiose daydreams of autonomy render Louise stricken dead, freeing her from her daily woes and her fantasies. Thus, Mr. Mallard comes to serve as both a symbol of overbearing servitude as well as liberation, though the latter did not occur as any character within the story
Mrs. Louise Mallard has a "weak" heart. In Louise 's case, a reader also can see the disenfranchised woman who was not able to guide her own life due to the social constraints of a male-dominated society. Louise 's reaction to her husband 's death was shocking even to herself. As she is told the news, Louise goes to her room to be alone. The fact that "she would have no one follow her" could possible symbolize the beginning of her acceptance and understanding that "she would live for herself." She wanted to be alone in order to allow her emotions to react freely to the news of her husband 's death. This clearly shows that the protagonist can’t allow herself to show her emotions in public. She’s scared of being
Unfortunately, her hope for long years and many beautiful spring days was abruptly ended in an ironic twist. Unbeknownst to herself and her company, Mr. Mallard had survived, and within an hour the promises of a bright future for Mrs. Mallard had both began and came to an end. Her grievous death was misconstrued as joy to the others: "they said she had died of heart disease-of joy that kills" (Chopin 471). This statement embodies the distorted misconception that a woman lives only for her man. The audience, in fact, sees just the opposite. To Louise her life was elongated at the news of her husband's death, not cut short. Throughout the story, one hopes Louise will gain her freedom. Ironically, she is granted freedom, but only in death.
In "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin, we are introduced to Mrs. Mallard. She is portrayed an unloving, heartless, woman who is overjoyed by the passing of her husband- or at least that is the common misconception. Mrs. Mallard although perceived as inhuman, is actually more human than most would like to believe. While her actions may seem questionable or even to be condemned, they are hardly unthinkable in light of the issues involving marriage and the woman's role throughout history. The story itself presents a valid argument in favor of Louise as she is portrayed as the oppressed wife finally set free after her husband's death.
Brently showed her many pictures, including their picture in Paris, and she always begs him to take to the gardens of Paris, but he always refuses. Louise was made dependent on his father and Brently to take care of her. In the 1940’s, women did not have a lot of rights. They were denied the vote and still were not allowed to vote. Chopin illustrated “Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible” (Chopin)....
Cunningham, Mark. "The Autonomous Female Self And The Death Of Louise Mallard In Kate Chopin's "Story Of An Hour.." English Language Notes 42.1 (2004): 48-55. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
Josephine and Mrs. Mallard feel very differently about the societal restrictions placed on them. Josephine is portrayed as the perfect nineteenth-century woman. She fulfills her duty as care-giver. This duty is seen when Josephine is kneeling before Mrs. Mallard's locked door pleading for admission: "'Louise, open the door! I beg; open the door-you will make yourself ill,'" Josephine implores. Josephine is concerned about the well-being of her sister. She is present when Mrs. Mallard hears the news of her husband's death and provides comfort and compassion. On the other hand, Mrs. Mallard feels trapped and burdened by the restriction placed on her by society. Mrs. Mallard longs to be an individual who d...
In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, the main character of the story, Mrs. Louise Mallard, is oppressed by her husband. Chopin’s works focus mainly on feminism, the relationships between classes, and the relationships between men and women, specifically between husband and wife in “The Story of an Hour” (“The Story of an Hour” 264). Mrs. Louise Mallard lives under her husband for her whole marriage. Mrs. Mallard gets news through her two best friends that Mr. Mallard was in a railroad accident and did not survive. Mrs. Mallard was hit with waves of guilt, agony, sorrow, fear, and grief. Mr. Mallard later comes back home, as he was mistakenly not involved in the accident. Throughout “The Story of an Hour,” Chopin demonstrates how the repression
... This woman suffers a tremendous amount from the commitment of her marriage, and the death of her husband does not affect her for long. A marriage such as this seems so unbelievable, yet a reader can see the realistic elements incorporated into the story. This begs the question of how undesirable marriage was during Chopin’s life. The unhappiness felt by Mrs. Mallard seems to be very extreme, but Chopin creates a beautiful story that reflects upon the idea of marriage as an undesired relationship and bond to some women in the nineteenth century.
Chopin presents a character known simply as Mrs. Mallard. The lack of personal identity is evident in this name. Not once in this story is her first name mentioned illustrating the lack of indi...
Mrs. Mallard's medical diagnosis is an example of the male-dominated society in which she lives. They are able to tell her that she indeed has a heart condition, but are unable to treat her effectively, portraying how ineffectual male patriarchy is in the life of this woman in particular. Mrs. Mallard is expected to fulfill the stereotypical role of "the angel in the house." She should acknowledge that the comforts in her life are all gifts from her husband, and should make it the primary goal of her life to please him in any way. As a dutiful wife, she must be content in serving and obeying her husband and children. On the other hand, there is the "madwoman in the attic" who breaks free from the constraints set upon women. This woman is seen as a "monster" and "sexually fallen" for simply desiring to have a life outside of her family (Bressler 178). Mrs. Mallard falls into both categories. Though she feels oppressed by her husband, she stills acts as the "angel," faithfully staying by his side despite her unhappiness. However, Chopin provides the reader with small indications of the "madwoman" even before Mrs. Mallard receives the news of her husband's death. The Mallards have no children, which signifies an unfruitful marriage. According to the same male-dominated medical society that is impotent in treating her heart condition, the failure to produce children would have fallen on Mrs. Mallard (Wald 2).
Kate Chopin, author of “The Story of an Hour” written in 1894 was the first author who emphasized strongly on femininity in her work. In the short story, Chopin writes about freedom and confinement Chopin is an atypical author who confronts feminist matter years before it was assumed. The time period that she wrote in women were advertised as a man’s property. The main idea in the short story is to illustrate that marriage confines women. In “The Story of an Hour” the author creates an intricate argument about freedom and confinement Mrs. Louise Mallard longing for freedom, but has been confined for so long freedom seems terrible. Mrs. Mallard wife of Brently Mallard instantly feels free when her husband dies. The reason she feels this way
Xuding Wang writes in her essay, Feminine Self-Assertion in “The Story of an Hour”, a strong defense for Kate Chopin’s classic work, “The Story of an Hour”. Wang provides powerful proof that one of the pioneering feminist writers had a genuine desire to push the issue of feminine inequality. Even decades later, Xuding Wang fights for the same ground as Kate Chopin before her. She focuses on critic Lawrence I. Berkove, who challenges that Louise Mallard is delusional with her personal feelings of freedom once she discovers the news that her husband has passed away. The story opens with the line “Knowing Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble” (Chopin). [1] Chopin uses allegory to describe