The Presentation of Women in Story of an Hour, Bliss, and The End of Something

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The Presentation of Women in Story of an Hour, Bliss, and The End of Something Within the three short stories studied all the women move from happiness in the main part of the story to being miserable and sad at the end. In ‘Story of an Hour’ throughout the main part of the story Louise (Mrs Mallard) was happy, happy due to the loss of her husband. ‘Free body and soul free!’ This shows that she is happy he is not alive and happy to be single and free. There is no one telling her what to do. In the end of ‘Story of an Hour’ she dies and the author by using the phrase ‘Of joy that kills’ symbolises everyone thought she had died due to being happy yet in fact we knew she had not. Similarly in Bliss, Bertha’s happiness throughout the story is exaggerated ‘by a feeling of bliss- absolute bliss.’ She is thrilled to be alive and so happy with her ‘perfect’ life that she just knows it cannot stay like that for long. A symbol of this is in the short story is the pear tree. We all know that it cannot be that perfect but that is how it is seen. This is the same for Bertha’s life. Everyone else at a distance sees it as perfect yet really up close it is not. Chopin has used this metaphor throughout the story so you have something to link the situation with and also she then doesn’t have to reveal information about Bertha she does it by referring to the tree so it isn’t exposed in an obvious way. In fact Berthas happiness was also shattered at the end when she found out her husband, Harry was having an affair. ‘‘Oh, what is going to happen now?’ she cried’ symbolising her loss of happiness, the feeling of ‘bliss’ and how miserable her life seems a that moment in time. She is questioning herself as there isn’t actually anyone there to answer her question. She knows that knowing this though will not change

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