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Dramatic and situational irony in "The Story of an Hour
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Dramatic and situational irony in "The Story of an Hour
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Irony is an expression. It is when words are used in a manner that their proposed meaning is different from the real sense of the words. This can additionally, end up in a completely different circumstance than what we may have expected, making it not as obvious as we may have anticipated. This is a distinguishment between the appearance and the authenticity, and this is the case in “The Story of an Hour”. A story in which, freedom of women from an overlying and strict marriage was common in 1890’s. However, there is deeper level of something surprising yet interesting that happens, but yet it was the exact opposite of what the reader would expect. This an example of situational irony. The characters and the readers seemed to be oblivious to the outcome, I know I was.
Starting with:
a. Brently Mallard dies. Mrs. Mallard cries but yet she seems exalted that her husband has died. Audience must have been unaware that this would happen
b. Mr. Mallard is dead, but he really isn't. This is seen when he unlocks the door and enters his home, that's situational irony.
c. Mr. Brently Mall...
Mallard walks in the door. He was not on the train that he was always on, so he did not die, and it was only speculation from Richards that he had died. Mrs. Mallard was in shock when she saw her ‘dead’ husband walk through the door, and she died right then and there. The doctors said that she died from the “joy that kills”(Pg. 280). But it seems that is not true because she became glad that her husband had passed away. This story is narrated in the omniscient third point of view, so it is not in any character's point of view. There are only four mentionable characters, Mrs. Louise Mallard, who is the main character of the short story. She has a weak heart and had her husband presumably die, but then she was secretly glad that he had died. The next character is Josephine, she is Mrs. Mallard's sister who broke the news of Mr. Mallard dying to her sister. There is also Richards, he was the first person to learn of Mr. Mallard's death over a telegram, he also told Josephine, who then told Mrs. Mallard. And lastly, the final character is Mr. Mallard, the man presumed to be dead. He only appears in the home at the last second of the story and his wife dies because of the shock of
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.
She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves. ( This description of the scenery is very happy, usually not how one sees the world after hearing devastating news of her husbands death.)
Throughout the whole short story “The Story of an Hour” the reader sees’ irony but the best usage of irony occurs toward the end of the story in the last few paragraphs. As the reader reads the story they notice that Mrs. Mallard’s husband Brently Mallard died in a railroad disaster. The reader also finds out that Mrs. Mallard has a heart trouble, and great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death. (157) There ar...
...isease. The reader is the only component that realizes her death is due to the idea that she would once again live a life in the shadow of someone else. Fellow characters are given no real chance to look further into Mrs. Mallards passing and forego the opportunity to learn a great deal about this character. Frequently females are seen as creatures dependent upon the people that surround them.
Dramatic irony is used through Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to her husband’s return. His death had brought her such great sorrow but upon his return she died. Her death then created sorrier bringing in the irony of the beginning of the story where it was said that Mrs. Mallard’s heart was bad and she was tried not to be stressed.
For women, the 19th century was a time of inequality, oppression, and inferiority to their male counterparts. A woman's social standing depended solely on her marital status. For these reasons many women were forced to lead a life of solitude and emotional inadequacy, often causing depression. In Kate Chopin's short story "The Story of an Hour," setting plays a significant role in illustrating the bittersweet triumph of Mrs. Mallard's escape from oppression at the ironic cost of her life.
In conclusion, it was no surprise when Mrs. Mallard is shocked when her husband is standing at their front door. He had missed his train; therefore, sparing his life. When she is making her symbolic descent down the stairs, she spots her husband and realizes that she can never reverse her progress. The “joy” that kills her is the joy that she refuses to surrender, but for one hour she gets glimpse of what true joy is (Jamil 219).
Mallards death. After Mrs. Mallard imagines her new found life and goes down stairs "Someone was opening the door with a latchkey. It was Brentley Mallard, who entered, a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his gripsack and umbrella. He had been far from the scene of the accident, and did not even know there had been one" (58) When he walks in Mrs. Mallard dies. The timing of Mrs. Mallards death is also a symbol of her new found freedom coming to an end literally and physically. All the characters in Chopin 's story believe that Mrs. Mallard has died of happiness, but the clues throughout the story lead the reader to the true cause of death. Dramatic irony, such as "when the doctors came, they said she had died of heart disease – of joy that kills" (58) brings the reader back to the quality of the Mallards ' relationship and really sparks the interest to decipher the
There are so many examples of situational irony that is clear throughout these stories Mr. Mallard being dead, Mama finally realizes that Maggie deserves the quilts because she understands her heritage better than Dee, Mathilde finding out she worked her whole life for nothing, and when Mr. Graves tells Tessie that Eva draws with her husband's family, Tessie is angry. Dramatic irony is everywhere as well. Louise dies from the shock of seeing her husband who is supposed to be dead and when Dee never wanted anything to do with her heritage until somebody was impressed by it.
Kate Chopin wrote a short piece called “The Story of an Hour” about a woman’s dynamic emotional shift who believes she has just learned her husband has died. The theme of Chopin’s piece is essentially a longing for more freedom for women.
Irony is a useful device for giving stories many unexpected twists and turns. In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," irony is used as an effective literary device. Situational irony is used to show the reader that what is expected to happen sometimes doesn't. Dramatic irony is used to clue the reader in on something that is happening that the characters in the story do not know about. Irony is used throughout Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" through the use of situational irony and the use of dramatic irony.
Kate Chopin's story, "The Story of an Hour", focuses on an 1890's young woman, Louise Mallard. She experienced a profound emotional change after she hears her husband's "death" and her life ends with her tragic discovery that he is actually alive. In this story, the author uses various techniques-settings, symbolism and irony- to demonstrate and develop the theme: Freedom is more important than love.
She realizes that this is the benefit of her husband’s death. She has no one to live for in the coming years but herself. Moments after this revelation, her thought to be deceased husband walks through the front door. He had not died after all. The shock of his appearance kills Mrs. Mallard.
Key Elements:The story of an hour · Plot: Standard plot. A woman who receive the notice of her husband's death, and when she begins to felt freedom her husband appear again and she can't accept it and fall died. · Characterization: Few characters a. Mrs. Mallard or Louise: Mallard's wife. Was afflicted with hearth trouble.