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Chopin's the story of the hour essay analysis
Chopin's the story of the hour essay analysis
Chopin's the story of the hour essay analysis
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The life of women in the 1800’s consisted of little freedom and was controlled by the men in their life. This is shown in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin. The story explores the complex reaction of Louise Mallard upon learning of her husband’s death. Mallards emotions fluctuate between numbness and joy at her newfound freedom. Chopin utilizes the symbol of the open window to explore the thoughts of Mallards new life filled with freedom, a new beginning, and limitless opportunity. The passing of Mallards husband was an eye-opening moment for her. She wept at first but as she faced her open window “she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome.” (Chopin). Chopin is referring to Mallard being able to feel beyond …show more content…
What Wan is referring to here is that even though her family and doctor thought she died from the shock of seeing the man she loved alive. From the privy of her secret thoughts, she was not killed by joy but rather disappointment, the realization that she was still captive. She reacted so strongly to her husband’s entry into their home because she had been experiencing so much joy in her room; looking out the window at all the possibilities she had ahead of her. Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her; spring days, summer days and all sorts of days that would be her own. She had only enjoyed her freedom for one hour, what a short time to live something so wonderful. All of her conflicting emotions had caused her heart attack. With this in mind, it can be believed that she died from the thought of losing her freedom. She had put too much stress on her bad heart which caused her to die of heart
At first she seems to be unquestionably distraught at the fact her husband had just died; however, when she retires to her room she comes face to face with something coming towards her. After she faces this monster, her attitude changes, Mrs. Mallard keeps whispering how she is and I quote “Free! Body and soul free!” (Chopin 83).... ...
Right from the moment Louise Mallard hears of her husband's death, Kate Chopin dives into a her vivid use of imagery. “When the storm of grief has spent itself” introduces a weather oriented theme (para.3). This imagery depicts a violent and dark setting that denotes death and grief. Her reaction to her husband's death ideally what society would expect. Her acute reaction instantly shows that she is an emotional, demonstrative woman. Even tho...
“Story of an Hour”, Kate Chopin unveils a widow named Mrs. Louise Mallard in which gets the news of her husband’s death yet, the audience would think she would feel sorrowful, depressed, and dispirited in the outcome her reaction is totally unusual. Meanwhile, day after day as time has gone by Mrs. Mallard slowly comes to a strange realization which alters a new outlook over her husband's death. "And yet she had loved him- sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter! 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!" (Chopin, 2). The actuality that she finds a slight bit of happiness upon the death of a person who particularly is so close to her is completely unraveling w...
Another example of how Mrs. Mallard was more uplifted than brought down by the news of her husband?s death is the description of the window. As Mrs. Mallard looks out, Chopin explains?she could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all a quiver with new life?. This is telling the reader about the new life that Mrs. Mallard can see in the distance, that symbolizes the new life she saw that lay ahead of her now that she was free of her husband. This thought was supported by Hicks in saying "The revelation of freedom occurs in the bedroom"
...ive her life for her own benefit. This is proven by Chopin's use of foreshadowing, the protagonist's realizations, and the effect that the realizations have on her life after the event. The author gives us thorough evidence to support the fact that Louise Mallard experienced an epiphany. Through a close examination of the story, the audience can see that she uses verbal indication that a change will occur. Chopin provides insight into Mrs. Mallard’s outlook on life and the affect this new outlook has. “Joy that kills” ends this dynamic short story, as well as Louise Mallard’s life. As the audience reads about Mrs. Mallard’s epiphany, it is likely they experience realizations of their own.
Her doctors explain that she “died of joy that kills” (Chopin, line 72). Mrs. Mallard’s heart fails in the end, of course, not because of her overwhelming happiness at seeing her husband alive, as the doctors suggest, but ironically, what murdered her was a monstrous joy, the birth of individual self and erasure of that joy when her husband and her old self
Kate Chopin used definitive words to show the exact situation around Mrs. Mallard. The word “hour” at the title of the story suggests the ultimate life scenario of a woman in the nineteenth century (Chopin 1). Not only it says that the tenure of the story is an hour, also makes the readers realize that the happiness and freedom of contemp...
...dition, so the doctor thought that this weakness was the reason she died.What really killed her was being put back into the role that was forced and expected of her. When her husband walked in, all of her feminine freedom vanished.
At the end of the story, when she "wakes" and goes downstairs and finds her husband walking through the door, is it's too much of a shock for her to take and it ends up killing her? "When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease-of joy that kills" (181). The shock and realization that her freedom is gone kills her. However, you can also argue that the end was still part of the dream. She did not walk down stairs to find her husband alive and that she did not die. The dream may have been a subconscious thought, that your freedom may end up killing you. A warning to her. "She breathed a quick prayer that her life might be long. It was only yesterday she thought with a shudder that her life might be long" (181). Now, she may have no life at
She also mentions that she “[knows] no reason why [she] should be – happy,” clearly expressing the idea (Ibsen, Act II). The fact that she is unhappy with her life, and can do nothing much to change it, draws sympathy from the audience. Her final act of suicide also causes the audience to feel sympathetic. When she realizes Judge Brack has some control over her, she states that she will be “subject to [his] will and [his] demands” and refuses to “endure the thought of that” (Ibsen, Act IV). This thought is what leads her to killing herself, and viewers and readers feel bad that she thought death was better than being suppressed by others even further.
Mrs. Mallard cared for and loved her husband; being married was the only way of life that she knew. Mrs. Mallard had heart trouble, which made it imperative to break the news of her husband’s death, gently. Thus is why Josephine, Mrs. Mallard’s sister, “told her in broken sentences, veiled hints that revealed in half concealing,” (Chopin, 1894, para. 2). The adage of the adage. Once she was told the horrible news, Mrs. Mallard was alone in front of her “open window.”
She desired the freedom, but she couldn’t get it. Her husband was controlling everything. So, she felt she would give up from his controlling, and she would be free to go out of the house and go to the places that she dreamed to go, such as Paris, Taj Mahal, and other places that she dreamed to be there. The death in this story has another meaning from the general meaning that the people know. The death is death of person, but in this story the death was the death of hope, joy, and
Mallard. Her self-assertion surpassed the years they were married and the love she had for him. She is beginning to realize she can now live for and focus on herself. The text insists “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. 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.” (Chopin 477.) Finally she can live freely and no longer worry about being confined in her marriage and inside her own home. She has come to realization that she is now independent and can think freely and achieves happiness and freedom. She is no longer held down or back by her marriage. She will no longer be someone’s possession she will be free and respected. Her husband Brently returns and he is alive the happiness and freedom she once possessed briefly with the mere image of her deceased husband were quickly torn away. “When the doctors came they said she died of heart disease of joy that kills” (Chopin 477). She was free but still confined without the knowledge of her husband who wasn’t dead. Chopin illustrates at the end that she was free because joy killed her. She was joyous because she was finally set free but she is now once again confined by the grief knowing her husband was not killed
Mrs. Mallard’s repressed married life is a secret that she keeps to herself. She is not open and honest with her sister Josephine who has shown nothing but concern. This is clearly evident in the great care that her sister and husband’s friend Richard show to break the news of her husband’s tragic death as gently as they can. They think that she is so much in love with him that hearing the news of his death would aggravate her poor heart condition and lead to death. Little do they know that she did not love him dearly at all and in fact took the news in a very positive way, opening her arms to welcome a new life without her husband. This can be seen in the fact that when she storms into her room and her focus shifts drastically from that of her husband’s death to nature that is symbolic of new life and possibilities awaiting her. Her senses came to life; they come alive to the beauty in the nature. Her eyes could reach the vastness of the sky; she could smell the delicious breath of rain in the air; and ears became attentive to a song f...
Given in The Story of An Hour, author Kate Chopin annotates to the reader that there are lessons in life that could only be taught by life itself. Appointing that Louise used Mr. Mallard death to her advantage, the author highlights that Mrs. Mallard faintly realizes she is using her husband’s death to escape from reality. She is unaware of the truth that is surrounding. Destiny exposed herself when Mr. Brently Mallard re-approaches Mrs. Mallard’s life, pulverizing all her dream. This confirming that a person’s envision can be bitterly twisted in seconds. Distress at the exposed reality, a “piercing cry” (Chopin p.19) incarcerates the freedom that Mrs. Mallard’s soul eagerly desired, trashing all her dream into the rumble of