Compare And Contrast The Necklace And The Story Of An Hour

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Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace” and Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” are famous short stories known for there unique setting’s and conflicts. “The Necklace” takes place in Paris, where Matilda Loisel lives with her husband, Mr. Loisel, in a shabby apartment. Mr. Loisel works as a clerk in the office of the Board of Education while Matilda stays home day dreaming about the life she always had pictured herself living. Madame Loisel was not content with her life which eventually led to an even more unfortunate outcome. “The Story of an Hour” has more of a victorian setting where the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard, is well off financially. She receives saddening news that her husband, Brently Mallard, has been killed in a railroad disaster. She takes the news and reflects on her life now feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders. Unexpectedly her husband arrives home and the newfound freedom she felt vanishes. Although both stories differ in setting and conflict, the centering theme of love and marriage in each short story share common characteristics. In both stories the women play a protagonist and struggle with conflicts internally as well as externally. Throughout “The Necklace” it is clearly obvious that Madame Loisel is not satisfied with the …show more content…

Both works are similar in the theme of love and marriage, conflicts, and surprising endings. However, they differ in the way the husbands are portrayed throughout the story. Both protagonist in the stories are strong woman who were battling feminine problems of the 19th century. Wiether it was class status or the expected role of women, each woman was unique in the way they handle their conflict in society. These pieces were used to speak out and bring light to issues that common women faced during the time period. The lasting effects of the stories encouraged women to work hard to be who they want in

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