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Cases of irony in the Kate Chopin story of an hour
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Recommended: Cases of irony in the Kate Chopin story of an hour
There are many things that can happen unexpected throughout life this is known as Irony. There are three different types of Irony, there’s Situational Irony, Dramatic Irony, and Verbal Irony. Situational Irony is when the opposite of what the characters and readers expect to happen happens like when you see a police officer of the peace getting arrested. Then there is Dramatic Irony which is when the reader knows something the character in the story might not know yet. The last example of Irony is Verbal Irony which is a twist of words to say things that might sound sarcastic like; this cake is as soft as concrete, meaning that the cake is too hard to be eatable. Symbolism is also used a lot to identify people or objects that mean something more that is actual literal meaning like when you see the United States flag it symbolizes freedom, also the 50 stars on the United states flag mean our nations 50 states, and when you see the 13 red and white stripes it symbolizes the first 13 colonies the U.S. had.
There are many examples of Symbolism and Irony in “The Story of an Hour”, by Kate Chopin. This is a story about a woman named Louis Mallard who has heart troubles and is told her husband, Brently Mallard, is dead; as she cried over her loss she realized she was finally free from her husband. She made everyone think she was so depressed about her husband passing while going down stairs but deep inside she held a secret which was that she was actually glad for this tragedy. Then a turn of events occur where everyone including Mrs. Mallard see her husband standing at the front door, she was so shocked she had
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a heart attack. The doctors said she was so excited that she died of the “joy that kills.”
A manifold of examples...
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All these were examples of the Ironic and Symbolic references I identified in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour.” Kate Chopin uses all this Symbolism and Irony to add more effect to infancies the things she wanted te reader and audience to know.
Works Cited
123 helpme Editors. “Symbolism in ‘The Story of an Hour’.” 123 helpme. 123 helpme, Inc., N.d. Web. 17 Mar 2014.
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” Heritage of American Literature. E.d.
E. Miller. Vol. 2. Austin: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1991. 487. Print.
Lorcher, Trent. “Irony in ‘The Story of an Hour’.” Bright Hub Education. N.p., 17
Apr 2012. Web. 17 Mar 2014.
Shmoop Editors. “’The Story of an Hour’- heart troubles.” Shmoop. Shmoop, Inc.,
N.d. Web. 17 Mar 2014.
Westwood, M. “What are examples of Verbal Irony in ‘The Story of an Hour’.” E- notes. E-notes, Inc., 30 Sept 2013. Web. 17 Mar 2014
Symbolism is something that represents more than what it really is. It is often by authors in their writing to give it more emphasis. For example:" In life there will always be peaks and valleys" meaning in life there will be ups and downs but we should enjoy the peaks and fight through the valleys. Objects can also be a form of symbolism such as The Bible, it represents more than just a book. It represents Life, Church, Religion, and the life of Jesus Christ and what he stood for. Irony is like a twist or words or the opposite of what is intended. For example: Laughing at someone that just slipped and fell, then later you find yourself slipping and falling is a form of irony. Irony is found in real life situations as well as writings. Symbolism is a technique that gives authors a better story and shows objects as more than what they are. They use techniques like this to catch the reader’s attention.
The “Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and ‘”The Hand” by Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette are similar in theme and setting. Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette and Kate Chopin create the theme of obligatory love and the unhappiness it entails. Both stories illustrate the concealed emotions many women feel in their marriage yet fail to express them. The two stories take place in a sacred room of the house and both transpire in a brief amount of time. The differences between the two stories are seen through the author’s choice of characters in each story. In “The story of an Hour” Kate Chopin involves other characters in Mrs. Mallard’s life, whereas, “The Hand” deals with marriage and togetherness and only involves the husband and wife. Symbolism is seen all throughout “The Hand” not so in ‘The Story of an Hour.” The similarities in “The Story of an Hour” and “The Hand” is portrayed in theme and setting. The differences are illustrated in the choice of characters involved in each story and the amount of symbolism depicted in the different stories.
In Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour,” Louise Mallard, is going through a life changing event that is brought on by the news of the death of her husband’s death, grieves for a very short time and discovers that she will now be able to live for herself. The end of her last hour comes when she sees her husband walking through the door. Kate Chopin displays symbolism starting with Mrs. Mallard’s heart trouble representing her dissatisfaction with her marriage and unhappiness, the open window represents the new life and opportunities that await her, and the patches of blue sky represents freedom and a tunnel of hope to show the emotions and changes of Mrs. Mallard after hearing of the loss of her husband.
In the short story “The Story of an Hour,” written by Kate Chopin, there are many symbols that point to one main emotion. Like every symbol in a well written story, a symbol can be very easy to miss during the first reading. This is why the story must be read many times to truly understand and comprehend the symbolism involved in the plot. Symbolism is a key element in great works. Like Mrs. Mallard’s hidden emotions and feelings, it is often entwined in the reading through objects, people, and places. In this story, there are three important symbols that, if recognized, will allow a reader to enjoy the plot to the fullest extent. These three symbols are the open window, the nature outside, and the features of Mrs. Mallard herself.
A very dull and boring story can be made into a great story simply by adding in something that is unexpected to happen. When the unexpected is used in literature it is known as irony. An author uses irony to shock the reader by adding a twist to the story. The author of “The Story of an Hour” is Kate Chopin. Her use of irony in the story is incredibly done more than once. Irony is thinking or believing some event will happen but in return the unexpected or opposite occurs. Kate Chopin uses two types of irony in this short story. Situational irony refers to the opposite of what is supposed to happen, and dramatic irony occurs when the audience or reader knows something that the rest of the characters in the story do not know. Kate Chopin does a great job in placing irony into this short story and makes the reader understand that the unexpected happens in life.
Baker, Joseph E. “Irony in Fiction: ‘All the King’s Men.’” College English. Vol. 9. JSTOR.
In many occasions, symbolism and irony are the best way to explain an object. While using symbolism you can make the reader understand a different point of view they would had never expected. It helps catches the reader attention in a way that it opens more doors to a short story, novel, etc… For example Montresor represents pride. He is living by his family motto “Nemo me impune lacessit.” (No one provokes me with impunity.) Symbols are also used in backgrounds of movies giving symbolic messages to the viewers. The only way the viewer can pick up on them is by searching them up or by already knowing what that symbol represented. Irony is used a little less more profoundly in the story, yet it plays a big role in leading the reader into the right path with its situations. Irony is when a statement contradicts itself or another object. For example Fortunato means fortunate but ends up not being fortunate while meeting his own death. They’re many examples of symbolism and irony in “The Cask of Amontillado.”
Irony can often be found in many literary works. “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is masterfully written full of irony. The characters of the short story, Mrs. Mallard, Josephine, Richards, Mr. Brently Mallard, and the doctors all find their way into Chopin’s ironic twists. Chopin embodies various ironies in “The Story of an Hour” through representations of verbal irony, dramatic irony, and situational irony.
...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.
“When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease--of the joy that kills.” This is the most ironic and final line in Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin. Story of an Hour tells the story of Mrs. Mallard, a woman who recently found her husband died in a train accident, final hour alive. After hearing the news of her husband death, Mrs. Mallard goes to her bedroom to grieve, but realizes the freedom she now has from his death. This new found freedom is shortly lived when she finally realizes her husband is not actually dead. I am going to demonstrate the literary devices irony and symbolism is used in this story.
The use of irony is integral to the plot of "The Story of and Hour" by Kate Chopin. Situational irony is used to surprise the reader and add an interesting twist to Mrs. Mallard's discovery of her husband's death. Dramatic irony is used to give the reader insight into Mrs. Mallard's situation. The use of irony serves to make the story more interesting and the ending becomes a complete surprise to the reader.
# “Symbolism.” The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2002. 220.
Several symbols in Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour" create a feeling of comfort, wellness, and wonderfulness within the reader's mind. The first symbol I will speak of is the "comfortable chair" which she sinks into after the news of her husbands' death. Then, I will speak of the open window, which she sits in front of through which she sees many symbols of things that are good. Finally, I will speak of the description of Mrs. Mallard herself and her comfortable situation, which will tie together all the symbols that create the feelings of comfort and wellness in the reader.
Analysis of “The Story of an Hour”. In her story “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin (1894) uses imagery and descriptive detail to contrast the rich possibilities for which Mrs. Mallard yearns, given the drab reality of her everyday life. Chopin utilizes explicit words to provide the reader with a background on Mrs. Mallard’s position. Chopin uses “She wept at once,” to describe Mrs. Mallard’s emotional reaction once she was told her husband had been “Killed.”
I read a story, after I finished reading it my mind was still reeling over what I had just read. Stories like this are quite impressive magnificent; they draw the reader into the story and leave them with a strong impact. How we interpret a text is in itself impressive, as every person is different, every interpretation is too. As I read “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, I could not help but notice that Kate Chopin uses the window to symbolize the future that Mrs. Mallard has been pinning for all her life. Chopin also uses Mrs. Mallard’s heart condition as a symbol of Mrs. Mallard’s marriage. The short story is consequentially the story of an oppressed woman who had to confine herself to the social norms of marriage. Through Formalism Criticism, we will explore the various symbols that Chopin uses to describe how Mrs. Mallard yearns for freedom, and through the Feminist Criticism, we will explore how the institution of marriage oppresses our heroin.