Why do women subordinate themselves to men? Marriage today represents happiness and love. People get married because they want to spend the rest of their lives together and form a family. Supposedly there is respect and trust inside the house of married couples. In the past, however, this was not always the case. Wives were subordinated to husbands, and they had very little freedom. Since women were not allowed to work or earn a wage, they basically had to depend on their husbands to be able to eat and survive. Therefore, this made men feel superior and made them all think they were better than women in everything. In Kate Chopin’s short story, The Story of an Hour, Louise experienced freedom after her husband died, which led her to feel guilty, …show more content…
Louise had a dependence on Mr. Mallard, which was why she cried so much, and it was reassured that she would probably cry again when she saw her dead husband: the author wrote, “She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death… fixed and gray and dead” (pg. 1). This supports the fact that Louise will definitely miss her husband since she had spent so many years depending on him and his job. Louise’s reaction after she cried, however, was not a typical reaction people usually have when they find out that their husband is dead. After thinking about not having her husband for the rest of her life, the feeling of freedom hits her, making her feel joyful. The author writes, “She had loved him-sometimes. Often she had not” (pg. 2). This shows how Louise was probably not living a happy marriage. The author writes that more often she had not loved him, therefore demonstrating how miserable Mrs. Mallard had been. She must have been mistreated by Mr. Mallard since the story was written during a time where women were subordinates of men. Louise’s reaction supports how wretched she must have been during her …show more content…
As stated, Louise suffered greatly in her marriage. The way she showed, indirectly, that she was unhappy in her marriage was through her feelings of joy when she found out her husband was dead. Another way she showed her unhappiness in her marriage towards Mr. Mallard, was when she died “of heart disease” after seeing that her husband was not actually dead. Louise was so happy about the years of independence that were to come, that after she saw that Mr. Mallard was actually alive, she could not take going back to being a subordinate. At the end of the story, the author writes, “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease- of the joy that kills” (pg. 2). Louise was so happy in her heart of not having to suffer in her marriage anymore, that after she saw that Brently Mallard was not actually dead, all of her happy thoughts of her future vanished immediately, not being handled very well by her heart. She can be compared with the character of Matilde in The Perfect Fruit. As seen throughout the story, it was known that Matilde was suffering greatly in her marriage with Raul. This can be seen when the author writes, “Raul got up from the table and walked to where Matilde stood. He put a hand on her shoulder. He opened his mouth to say something. He patted her shoulder instead, and turned and picked up his lunch” (pg. 39). This shows the lack of
Louise had a heart condition that left her sister, Josephine, wary of breaking the news of her husband’s death to her in fear that it could cause her problems. To the reader’s surprise; however, Louise had the opposite reaction. While weeping and showing glimpses of sadness, she is suddenly overtaken by a calming presence. “Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.” [11] When first reading this part, I visualized an evil woman who hated her husband. After finishing the story, I now believe this symbolizes reality setting in on her and she is
Louise, the unfortunate spouse of Brently Mallard dies of a supposed “heart disease.” Upon the doctor’s diagnosis, it is the death of a “joy that kills.” This is a paradox of happiness resulting into a dreadful ending. Nevertheless, in reality it is actually the other way around. Of which, is the irony of Louise dying due to her suffering from a massive amount of depression knowing her husband is not dead, but alive. This is the prime example to show how women are unfairly treated. If it is logical enough for a wife to be this jovial about her husband’s mournful state of life then she must be in a marriage of never-ending nightmares. This shows how terribly the wife is being exploited due her gender in the relationship. As a result of a female being treated or perceived in such a manner, she will often times lose herself like the “girl
In the beginning of “Story of an Hour” the readers are introduced to Louise Mallard who found out that her husband has died in an accident. Louise reacts to the news like we would expect any wife would. At first she is obviously upset so she excuses herself and rushes off to her bedroom to have some space. While in her room she realizes that she in some sense she was happy. Now she had her freedom. “When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under the breath: “free, free, free!” The vacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and r...
Louise Mallard has not yet heard the news of her husband’s death. As the news is revealed to her she went into a state of unhappiness, and she had a hard time “accepting the significance” (463). She “wept at once” with “wild abandonment” and the “storm of grief” (463), passed over and she went alone to her bedroom with no one to follow her. The author describes in the previous sentence that the storm of grief has passed over her,
Berkove also says the story is not at all about marriage, but about Louise. The story is missing evidence of where the husband is supposal living for his wife. All these examples support the fact thesis of Louise is self-absorbed.
Although Louise was loved by her husband and she at times loved him, it was her deep need for self-reliance that turned this otherwise somber occasion into one of joy. The repression of her marriage was over and it was this comfort that allowed Louise to recover from the news quickly. At her sister’s insistence, she comes out of the room, appearing calm and serene.
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
In the story it says, “It was he who had been in the newspaper office when intelligence of the railroad disaster was received, with Brently Mallard’s name leading the list of ‘killed.’.” (Chopin, 1). This shows that she received a news about her husband being killed and later one she becomes so happy due to this news. At the end of the story she gets heart attack because she sees her husband at the door. At the end of story it says, “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease--of the joy that kills.” (Chopin, 2). This is saying that she has died because she was so happy when she heard that her husband is dead but soon as she heard her husband enter the door she died of it. This shows how Louise character changed from the beginning of the story to the end of the story from the reaction she had from seeing her husband and hearing news about
As Mrs. Mallard lets her realization take root she begins to chant, “free, free, free” (Chopin, 75). This shows that she accepts her new fate and knows that she will be okay without her husband. Louise becomes aware that she has been dictated by social expectation and requirement, but now can live for herself once again with no one to answer to. Louise admits, “she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death” (Chopin, 75), but sees her future beyond that now. Social expectations no longer obligate her to be the woman she was. Louise is now able to do what she feels is most beneficial for her as an individual, and not what would be expected in her monogamous
The main character in this story, Louise Mallard shows us her dream of freedom and proves these people wrong when her husband, Brently Mallard, dies. Louise’s husband was on a list of people that died in a railroad disaster. They tell her carefully since she has a heart condition. She starts crying, but afterwards she begins to think of all the positive things that come from his death. Her sister, Josephine goes upstairs to make sure she is okay,and once she finds out she is they come down. As they walk down the stairs she sees the door being opened and her husband comes in. Having her heart condition, she dies. The doctors thought “she had died from heart disease-of joy that kills.” However, she didn't die from the joy of getting to see her living husband but from losing her future filled with freedom.
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.
Many people interpret that Louise passes away from shock and disappointment from discovering her husband is actually alive. They feel that when Louise finally accepts that her husband is deceased and she discovers freedom, that seeing her husband alive causes her to get depressed, go into shock, and die. On the other hand, a more unique interpretation of Mallard’s death would be that she passed away from excitement and anxiousness from being completely independent, and having various opportunities in store for herself. Mallard may have not been able to handle the new exhilaration directly after experiencing deep depression and grief from the news of her husband’s accident. Some supporting evidence that Louise did not collapse from seeing her husband alive, is that the passage never directly states that she actua...
Upon seeing her husband alive and well, Louise realizes that the life she has imagined is not to be. The return of Brently signals a return of the patriarchal oppression in her life, and after imagining herself as an individual and then being denied the chance to live freely is a punishment far worse than the crime. Louise loses her identity and once again becomes "his wife. " Richards once more tries to protect her, a helpless woman, by attempting to block her view from her husband, because of the fragile state of her heart. Mrs. Mallard's strengths are gone, never to be acknowledged by the men in her life.
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
Louise Mallard finds personal strength in her husband's death, ready to face the world as a whole person "She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday (prior to her husband's death) she had thought with a shudder that life might be long." The strength conveyed in the image of Louise carrying "herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory" is unmistakable. However, the irony that her husband lives, and therefore, she cannot, conveys the limited options socially acceptable for women. Once Louise Mallard recognizes her desire to "live for herself," and the impossibility of doing so within the bounds of her marriage, her heart will not allow her to turn back.