Evaluate Some Aspects in “The Story of an Hour” Kate Chopin, an U.S author of many short stories and novels in the late nineteenth Century. Most of her best-known work focuses on the lives of sensitive, intelligent women in the old strict society. “The Story Of An Hour” is one of her short fiction, which was written in 1894 (Shmoop Editorial Team). This fiction story makes the reader curious through its title, also the setting is reasonable for situation happens, in addition the unexpected ending is one of the factors make the story more interesting. The story talks about Louise Mallard, who has heart trouble. She briefly believes the news of her husband’s death, taken by Richard, her husband’s friend. After breaking into tears, she goes
Time is considered slow or fast, it depends on how you spend it. In general, an hour doesn’t seem like a lot of time if you spend doing your favorite things, such as dating with your boyfriend or watching your favorite TV show. On the other hand, an hour can last forever if you are doing something difficult and boring. For example, waiting for a bus on a snowy day, getting in a line to go to the restroom, or waiting for your mom goes shopping. These seem like long hours. In this case, the story just happens in an hour. It is not enough time for the characters to go from place to place and have many actions or conversation. Put it into consideration, Mrs. Mallard has a hard time when she receives the tragic news of her husband’s death, “She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister arms” (3). Moreover, her life might be changed from this event. “She saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome” (13). It may not seem like the hour is very long, but a lot of stuff happens to Mrs.
Before reaching to the end of the story, the reader may think that when Louise goes downstair, she will hear something new about her husband’s death, such as someone found his body, or the day his body is delivered to home. However, Bently Mallard opens the front door and enters with “a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his grip-sack and umbrella”. That is a really surprising return. He does not return from the vacation, or a business trip; he returns from “the death”. When Mr. Mallard comes back, it turns out to be another strong shock for his wife. Indeed, the story is set in the 1890s, when the women had little to no rights. Although it is not directly stated, it can be assumed by the time period that Louise has little significance. At first when Mr. Mallard is reported dead, Louise weeps suddenly then goes to her room. She spends the next several minutes looking at how free she is now that her husband is gone (Shmoop Editorial Team). Unfortunately, her imagination does not come true. The fire of her freedom is suddenly off when her husband appears. This second second shock leads to her death due to her heart disease. In general, “The Story Of An Hour” is easy to read because it is a short story and Chopin developed the plot really simple. Right at the first sight, the reader may be attracted by the mystery title, what in the story that happens in only one hour? Furthermore, it was highly
Mallard had died in it. Obviously, after hearing the news of her husband's death Louise was grieving, and she cried uncontrollably. But, then something changed in her mind. She thought to herself, now that he is dead, she can truly be free from the oppression that he gave her. After hearing this she began thinking about freedom, and she whispered to herself “free, free, free” (
The Story of an Hour is a short story of Ms. Mallard, a woman with a heart condition who receives short term good news. Chopin uses contrast between independence, marriage, and gender to show how hidden emotions can effect a woman’s actions in the time period where women did not have much power or right to speak what came to their mind.
In conclusion, “The story of an hour” is a clear depiction that women status in the society determines the choices they make about their lives. In this work, Chopin depicts a woman as a lesser being without identity or voices of their own. They are expected to remain in oppressive marriages and submit to their husbands without question.
Like in many tragically true stories, it would seem Mrs. Mallard 's freedom came too late. Kate Chopin’s, “The Story of an Hour” begins by introducing Mrs. Mallard as a person afflicted with heart trouble. The story builds on this by having Mrs. Mallard’s sister Josephine and her husband Richard explain the situation in a very sensitive manner. Their efforts would prove to be in vain however as Mrs. Mallard then proceeds to emotionally break down. The news shocks Mrs. Mallard to her very core and has her at odds with how she should feel now that all was said and done. After coming to terms with her situation, fate delivers its final blow in a cruel and deceitful ploy towards Mrs. Mallards. And with that, Mrs. Mallard 's dies. In her hour of change Mrs. Mallard 's was delicate, thoughtful and excitable.
The story is very short, but every word has import in the story and each line has great depth of meaning. It is possible to infer a great deal about the woman's life, even though we are given very little on the surface. A telegraph and a railroad are mentioned in the first paragraph, so there is some idea of the time the story takes place. We are also given her married name and the full name of her husband. The fact that she is referred to only as "Mrs. Mallard", while her husband's full name is given, coupled with what we learn on the second page, gives some indication of the repression she's had to suffer through and the indignity society placed on woman in those times. We also learn in the first paragraph that she lives in a man's world, for, though it is her sister that tells her the news, it is her husband's friend who rushes over with the story. Even after his death, she is confined to the structures she adopted with married life, including the close friend's of her husband.
Mallard realizes that her husband has died, she realizes that she is free, something which was unusual for women in the mid 1800’s. She said it over and over under her breath: “`free, free, free! `” (151). Her husband’s death represents a new life for Mrs. Mallard. Mark, Cunningham notes, “Mary E. Papke has noted that the reader learns Louise’s first name only after Louise accepts her `new consciousness` of freedom; before that Louise is Mrs. Mallard” (1).
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.
The story begins on a very sad note especially in the eyes of a reader. Mrs. Mallard is said to have a “heart
Most women in Mrs Mallard’s situation were expected to be upset at the news of her husbands death, and they would worry more about her heart trouble, since the news could worsen her condition. However, her reaction is very different. At first she gets emotional and cries in front of her sister and her husbands friend, Richard. A little after, Mrs. Mallard finally sees an opportunity of freedom from her husbands death. She is crying in her bedroom, but then she starts to think of the freedom that she now has in her hands. “When she abandoned herse...
She has now found a new desire for life. However, without warning, the tone abruptly reverts back to its grief stricken “ horror.” As Mr. Mallard walks in the door, her thoughts, dreams, and aspirations, quickly fade away. Louise’s heart, so weak, simply stops and all bliss transfers into extreme heartache. The drastic changes of tone reveals that freedom can be given and taken from someone in a heartbeat and the heartache will always remain.
Kate Chopin’s short story "The Story of an Hour," utilizes superb symbolism and elucidating points of interest with a specific end goal to differentiation Mrs. Mallard 's everyday and dreary life. Chopin utilizes symbolism and expressive subtle elements to differentiate the rich conceivable outcomes for which Mrs. Mallard longs with the dull reality of her regular life. The main theme of this story is “the quest for identity” because Louise’s sudden self-discovery shows that she had been seeking her own identity in a male-dominated world at the time. Kate Chopin wrote this in the 19th century when males were “dominate” and females were “passive.” Mr. Brently’s "death" was what initiated her “quest for Identity” without him “dying” she would have never thought about how
Mrs. Mallard who says her husband was loving and nice, still feels a sense of joy and freedom when she thinks he has died. Louise feeling this way suggests that all marriages are oppressive in some way and take away independence from those in them. Louise is introduced as “Mrs. Mallard” at the beginning of the story and referred to as “she” up until she becomes “free” after her husbands death. This lasts until the reader figures out Brently is not dead and her status as a wife is reestablished. The very last sentence in the book, “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease-of joy that kills” (Chopin 301) .The fact that the doctors, who happen to be men, had the last say in Mrs. Mallard’s life is another example of men dictating the way she lives. Chopin makes the setting confined to one hospital room to illustrate the confinements Mrs. Mallard is living in due to her marriage. She finally escapes from that room at the very end of the story but only for seconds before discovering her husband is still alive and it destroys everything she was looking forward
Mallard is feeling. Instead, the reader must look into Mrs. Mallard's actions and words in
The story takes place in the late nineteenth century, a time when women had very limited rights. Mrs. Mallard, a young woman who has a bad heart, plays the main character in this story. She receives news that her husband has been killed in a railroad accident. Mrs. Mallard is shocked and bewildered by the death of her husband. However, the feeling of bewilderment is only a temporary feeling that quickly leads to an overwhelming sense of freedom. A freedom she has desperately longed for. Yet, shortly after receiving the news of her husbands death there is a knock at the door. Upon opening the door, she discovers that her husband is not dead, for he is standing in the doorway alive and well. Mr. Mallard’s appearance causes his wife to die. “[T]he doctors … said she [has] died of heart disease – of jo...
Since Kate Chopin has used different types of literary devices, it is good to know the definition to those word to better understand “The Story of An Hour”. This story uses a lot of irony throughout the whole passage as well as imagery and symbolism. Each literary device has been set within its own meaning in the story. Using these literary devices that Kate Chopin used, it was what helped make the story into a great one. it makes it be more descriptive in the way the reader views things while reading it.