Freedom in Kate Chopin's The Story of An Hour

1076 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: story of an hour by Kate chopin critical analysis

Freedom in Kate Chopin's The Story of An Hour

In Kate Chopin's "The Story of An Hour" the theme is found within the concept of how someone can be trapped in a repressive, unsatisfying reality because of another's thoughtless oppression and manipulation. When combined with the contemporary society's beliefs --- presumably the later half of the 19th century for this story -- a further understanding of Chopin's thoughts and feelings can be realized. Mrs. Louise Mallard, the victim and messenger of this story, is the representation of such a person. Her relationship with her husband is so tyrannical and limiting that even death is considered a reasonable means of escape. The condition of life for Mrs. Mallard is terrible, yet for some reason she doesn't seem to come to full realization until her husband's death. This leads one to believe it was commonplace for a woman to be unhappy in her marriage and have no conventional means of escape (divorce). However, Chopin doesn't directly make that point. Chopin communicates that this could be any creature's reality. That point, rather, is inferred through our knowledge of women's suffrage history. This may be because Chopin didn't want to outwardly take that position for fear of exile herself, for fear of going against a social machine that could make her life miserable.

Through analyzing Mrs. Mallard one is approaching the theme; the theme lies within Mrs. Mallard's very existence. In the beginning, Mrs. Mallard is portrayed as a fragile woman who would have trouble excepting her husband's death: "She wept at once, with sudden wild abandonment" (SMG 467). She behaves as expected but hints at her state of being are given as you move on: "She was young, with a fair, calm ...

... middle of paper ...

...reby avoiding the entire feminist possibilities behind her theme. Do what's right for your soul no matter the circumstances, even if you inhabit a reality which makes true freedom seem impossible, there is always a way of achievement. Moreover, Chopin suggests that once true freedom is tasted there is no return to ignorance; death is a reasonable means of escape. Chopin wants freedom of will for all creatures and elegantly crafts her point into "Story of An Hour"

Works Cited

Angeline, Michelle. “Consciousness in Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour.’” CLA Journal 16 (November 1994): 59-64.

Bauer, Margaret. Chopin in Her Times: Critical Essays on Freedom and Feminine Identity. Durham: Duke UP, 1997.

Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter, et al. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Lexington: Heath, 1994.

Show More
Related

  • The Theodicies of Augustine and Boethius

    771 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...d appear to be unrestrained and unpunished because their wickedness and the lack of true happiness that is associated with it is their punishment (Consolation of Philosophy 94). To both Augustine and Boethius, God is completely good and sovereign. However, He allows men free will and the punishment or rewards that come with these free decisions.

    Read More

  • The Consolation of Philosophy

    999 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius uses good vs. evil argument in an objective, metaphysical view, on an abstract level. Good being the all-powerful God and evil being nothing. Parallel to that view, there is good vs. bad, which is presented from a human viewpoint. While the good has similar meani...

    Read More

  • Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy

    697 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius addresses many solutions to the never-ending problem of evil. In Book IV Boethius offers a solution to the problem based on the distinction between “Fate” and “Providence.” Boethius defines both of these terms and explains his own version of the problem and how to solve the problem using the differences between “Fate” and “Providence.” However one may argue against Boethius’s solution and offer a solution themselves. And if this may occur Boethius or somebody who agrees with him would make a counter argument against the proposed solution.

    Read More

  • The Search for Immortality in the Epic of Gilgamesh

    1509 Words  | 4 Pages

    The fear of death and the search for eternal life is a cultural universal. The ideology surrounding immortality transcends time and a plethora of cultures. The theme, immortality appears in stories from the Epic of Gilgamesh, which was composed by ancient Sumerians roughly around 600 B.C., to present day works of fiction in the twenty first century. Gilgamesh, a figure of celestial stature, allows his mortal side to whittle away his power after the death of Enkidu. Undeniably, defenseless before the validity of his own end, he leaves Uruk and begins a quest for Utnapishtim; the mortal man who withstood the great deluge and was granted immortality by the gods (Freeman 36). The search for immortality is a universal concept that has presented itself many times throughout the world; it is a concept that stands in hearts of mankind; The Epic of Gilgamesh illustrates humanity’s innate desire to break free from the constraints of the civilized world, while at the same time trying to find the meaning of existence; a theme that that is perpetrated many times throughout the epic. With that being said, The Epic of Gilgamesh is a story that should not be simply viewed as a text that was written by ancient human civilization thousands of years ago; it should be viewed as a text that highlights humanity’s struggle to overcome the limitations of mortality, and the acceptance of death. This is a theme

    Read More

  • Comparing Edna of Kate Chopin's The Awakening and Nora of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym et al. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1985.

    Read More

  • Evil Can Never Overcome Goodness- Illustrated in Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy

    1459 Words  | 3 Pages

    Despite Boethius’s initial resistance, Lady Philosophy shows that because Boethius did not own his wealth or position, he was subject to Fortune’s transitory...

    Read More

  • Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour

    394 Words  | 1 Pages

    Kate Chopin was a Victorian writer; whose writing manifests her life experiences. She was not happy with the principles of the time, because women had fewer rights, and they were not considered equal to men. Afraid of segregation from society, people lived in a hypocritical world full of lies; moreover, Kate Chopin was not afraid of segregation, and used her writing as a weapon against oppression of the soul. Marriage was an oppressor to Chopin, she had been a victim of this institution. Being a victim of marriage, Chopin's "Story of an Hour," is an expression of her believe that, marriage is an institution that oppresses, represses, and is a source of discontent among human beings.

    Read More

  • Remembering the Radium Girls

    1160 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...to establish the tolerance level for radium. The center for Human Radiobiology was established in 1968 with the primary purpose of examining living dial painters.

    Read More

  • The Significance of Art in Chopin's The Awakening

    887 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: W.W. Norton, 2007. 535-625. Print.

    Read More

  • The Epic of Gilgamesh

    1053 Words  | 3 Pages

    Perhaps one of the main reasons the Epic of Gilgamesh is so popular and has lasted such a long time, is because it offers insight into the human concerns of people four thousand years ago, many of which are still relevant today. Some of these human concerns found in the book that are still applicable today include: the fear and concerns people have in relation to death, overwhelming desires to be immortal, and the impact a friendship has on a person’s life. It does not take a great deal of insight into The Epic of Gilgamesh for a person to locate these themes in the story, and even less introspection to relate to them.

    Read More

  • Search for Immortality Depicted in The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey

    858 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...nd the theme of immortality. However, each presents it in different ways. The Epic of Gilgamesh presents true immortality as deeds and actions that will keep your names in the memory of the people forever. In The Odyssey immortality is presented as something that is less important than your family and the people you love. This is reflected in each of the heroes decisions to turn down immortality; Gilgamesh turns it down because he knows the suffering would never make it worth it and Odysseus knows that he would never get to see his family again if he accepted the offer. The moral really is consider all the consequences before accepting something that seems all well and good.

    Read More

  • Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” tries to shed light on the conflict between women and a society that assign gender roles using a patriarchal approach. Specifically Margaret Bauer highlights, that most of Chopin’s works revolves around exploring the “dynamic interrelation between women and men, women and patriarchy, even women and women” (146). Similarly, in “The Story of an Hour” Chopin depicts a society that oppresses women mostly through the institution of marriage, as women are expected to remain submissive regardless of whether they derive any happiness. The question of divorce is not welcome, and it is tragic that freedom of women can only be realized through death. According to Bauer, the society depicted in Chopin’s story judged women harshly as it expected women to play their domestic roles without question, while on the other hand men were free to follow their dream and impose their will on their wives (149).

    Read More

  • Essay on Setting in Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour

    1436 Words  | 3 Pages

    Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. 4th ed. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: St. Martins, 1997. 12-15.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis of Mrs. Mallard in The Story of an Hour

    1047 Words  | 3 Pages

    Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Eds. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 3rd ed. New York: Pearson, 2010. 261-263. Print.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Freedom In The Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin

    1222 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

More about Freedom in Kate Chopin's The Story of An Hour

Open Document