...Symbolism –Rendering The Hidden Meaning of The Story Symbolism is an important element in reinforcing the meaning of a story. It is a kind of formalist strategies which helps the reader understand the images that the author is trying to say in words. Symbolism is widely used in “The Story of An Hour” and “The Cranes”, which use conventional symbols, literary symbols, and even allegory. “The Story of An Hour” is written by Kate Chopin. Mrs. Mallard hears of her husband’s death from her husband’s friend Richards. At first, she feels depressed, but then she feels free and can have her own new life after thinking things through. Sadly, her “new” life is cut short by the abrupt return of Mr. Mallard. Mrs. Mallard, who has a bad heart, was so stricken by the fact that her husband is alive that she dropps dead on the spot. “The Cranes” is written by Peter Meinke. A couple goes to the Gulf to watch the birds- Cranes. After that, they commit suicide because they are fed up with life, which is full of sickness, illness and pain. In both stories, symbols play a role in conveying the central meanings that make the theme of the stories outstanding. “The Cranes” is a story in which the author uses symbols to render sadness and romance. The first and the main symbol is the title of the story- The Cranes. Cranes traditionally symbolize life and longevity. The author uses cranes to symbolize the couple and their relationship. “… they mate for life and live a long time…” (Meinke, 260). Meinke...
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...Symbolism in literature is using an object or a word to represent an abstract idea. An action, person, place, word, or object can all have a symbolic meaning. For example, when you are looking at the literature piece “The Yellow Wallpaper” the most obvious symbol in this piece is the yellow wallpaper. In the literature piece, “The Story of an Hour” one symbol in this piece is the open window. Lastly, in the literature piece “A Good Man is Hard to find” one symbol in this piece is the grandmother’s hat. All these symbols in the different literature pieces are key to telling the story. It lets the reader know the author wants you to understand a certain mood or emotion by hinting it and not just flat out saying it. The narrator and her husband...
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...The Story of An Hour Mary Smith Eng 125 Introduction Literature Molly Slavin (TA) August 1, 2011 The Story of An Hour Through out my study of literature it has taught me a lot about the different concept and structure of it. Learning to keep your mind focus on the different point of views that the authors provides you with can be very confusing, especially when you not into this kind of work of art. But as I started to read more in this class, it shows you how to affect yourself more with the passion of literary. Just to learn how to identify the theme of the story give the reader a message, it could be about life, society, or the human nature. The word theme can be define as “A topic of discourse or discussion, An idea, point of view, or perception embodied and expand upon in a work of art, or A short composition assigned to a student as a writing exercise.” (Webster’s II New Riverside University Dictionary). Even though understanding literature can be difficult for some people to comprehend, learning to identify the theme and the literary elements helps you to focus more on developing it meaning. Research states that the theme is a broad idea, message, or moral of a story. It even goes to say that it is the central message of a literary work. But mainly to me whenever I want to identify the theme in a story I think of it as the main idea, or ask myself what the author is saying in the story. As I read the text the author “explain”? the theme as been define as “A...
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...The Story of an Hour, The Chrysanthemums, The Storm, Little Things, The Flea, and Desiree’s Baby are all works that revolve around relationships between men and women. However, even though all of these works revolve around relationships, there are many similarities and differences among them. To start things off, one similarity shared by all of the works are the false relationships between couples. Another similarity between the works are the use of things within them being used as inexplicable symbols. Also, all of the works except The Storm show women being mistreated and not appreciated by men. Now following behind those similarities of those works are differences, such as The Storm being the only one of the works which has the man caring...
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...The Necklace vs. The Story of an Hour Pamela Richard ENG 125 Lesa Hadley May 11, 2012 The Necklace vs. The Story of an Hour A short story, “The Necklace” (“La parure”) written by Guy de Maupassant in 1884 and a poem, ‘The Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin in 1894 are literary works that are very comparable yet are different. The two women, Madame Mathilde Loisel and Louise Mallard, portrayed in these literary works are protagonists who have trouble because of conflicting expectations imposed on them by society. Both Mathilde Loisel and Louise Mallard want something more than what their lifestyle offers them. During the time when the authors wrote these pieces, the social behaviors showed gender suppression/oppression. This essay will compare and contrast elements of content, form, and style between two different literary works. Both authors chose the theme of gender roles in marriage. During the time when the authors wrote theses pieces, the social behaviors showed gender suppression/oppression. The nineteenth century was impacted by the industrial revolution which caused a gap in gender roles, especially in the upper and middle classes (Radek, 2001). Men and women were thought to have completely different natures. Men were considered to be powerful, brave, rational and independent. Women were considered weak, timid, emotional, and dependent. Those differences separated their functions in society. "Men were thought to have natures suited to the public...
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...November 2014 MLA Annotated Bibliography: Rhetorical Analysis; the Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin, characters, setting. “KateChopinorg. Kate Chopin International Society. N.d. web. 20 Nov. 2014. http://www.katechopin.org/the-story-of-an-hour/ This website is from the Author herself. There are many beneficially things from this website. She has a list of characters, the time and place, the themes, when this book was published, etc. It has a lot of helpful information and the story behind this story. I thought what was really neat on this website was there is a place for a question and answer box. This is a very important source because this particular website was written by the author of the short story I chose. There are many websites that can be helpful to have credible sources. But, when you have a source that is from the author herself, it is helpful and more credible. Lorcher, Trent “The Story of an Hour”: Analysis of the symbols & Irony.” Bright Hub Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. http://www.brighthubeducation.com/homework-help-literature/60196-the-story-of-an-hour-irony-and-symbolism/ This educational website out of the many that I read over, was informative. As many of the websites state, the symbolism in this story is not as obvious as you may assume it is. Reading this states that the initial heart condition that Mrs. Mallard has is a symbol of her emotion. It also is symbolic for meaning that her marriage...
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...“The Story of an Hour” is a short story, written by Kate Chopin, which conveys the heavy use of irony and symbolism to express the feelings of the main character, Louise Mallard, as she deals with the sudden loss of her husband. Published in 1894, “The Story of an Hour” portrays a young woman who has learned of the death of her husband and is then overcome with a series of different emotions as the story progresses (Chopin). Evident in the story, the symbols portray a wide array of meaning as it describes the feeling of freedom that overcomes Louise as she begins to realize that the death of her husband is more of a blessing than a tragedy. Furthermore, the feelings that Louise begins to feel after she has come to her realization are apparent through the...
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...depending on the organization (Baack, 2012). Different organizations use different symbols. Common symbols in the workplace are physical, behavior, and verbal symbols (Baack, 2012). Physical symbols are material objects such as logos, design, décor, and even buildings. Behavior symbols consist of rewards and punishments, rituals, traditions, ceremonies, and customs. Finally, verbal symbols are jargon, names and nicknames, stories, history, and metaphors. Organizational culture is the behavior of its associates with the organization and the meaning that people attach to those behaviors (Baack, 2012). Organizational culture includes the emotional and psychological climate which may involve employee morale, attitudes, and levels of productivity (Baack, 2012). Organizational culture includes all the symbols (action, routines, and conversations) and the meaning that people attach to them. Values inform associates of an organization on what is important to that specific organization. Values are derived from the core values of the organization usually found in their mission and vison statement. Because associates help to shape the organizational culture and their behaviors is the major factor in creating and maintaining organizational reality (Baack, 2012). Symbols determine the realism of organizational culture. The associates and founders of an organization create, use, and interpret these symbols that are vital to a...
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...The Inevitability of the Red Death Edgar Allen Poe's “The Masque of the Red Death” is an extravagant allegory of the futility of trying to escape death. In the story, a prince named Prospero tries to avoid the Red Death through isolation and seclusion. He hides behind the impenetrable walls of his castle and turns his back on the rest of the world. But no walls can stop death because it is unavoidable and inevitable. Through the use of character, setting, point of view, and symbol, Poe reveals the theme that no one, regardless of status, wealth or power can stay the passing of time and the inevitable conclusion of life itself, death. Like many of Poe’s works, the number of characters in “Masque of the Red Death” is limited; however they all work to reveal the theme. Only three characters, Prince Prospero, the Thousand Friends and the Masked Figure are mentioned. The central figure of the story is Prince Prospero. The author describes him as “happy and dauntless and sagacious” (Poe, 386). His name is used to infer royalty, wealth and happiness, and suggests that the prince is untroubled by the plague and is confident of his survival and the survival of his one thousand friends. Prospero has been described by scholars as a “feelingless ruling prince” (Wheat, 51). This is due to his apparent lack of concern for the people of his land: “The external world could take care of itself” (Poe, 386). Prospero is a flat character as he remains confident in his survival up to...
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...The Tale of Two Stories Sheri O'Connell ENG125: Introduction to Literature Instructor: Heather AltfeldFisher September 25, 2011 The Tale of Two Stories Thesis Statement This paper compares two short stories, "The Story of an Hour" (Chopin) and "The Necklace" (Guy de Maupassant). "How little a thing is needed for us to be lost or saved?" [ (Clugston, 2010) ]. Both stories portray two different yet alike women. Both women struggle to find their independence. Both women find trouble just when they believe they have 'succeeded' in their search. Introduction The poem “the Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is an impressive literary piece that attracts the feeling of the readers, as well as their minds. However, the story is very short and precise, but it is rich and complete, and every word of the poem has a deep thought and meaning (Charters 2003). Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" deals with a young American women's unanticipated sense of reprieve and independence upon hearing of her husband's death which enabled her to breathe the contentment during the last moments of her life with an anticipation, self esteem, and self consciousness. Mrs. Mallard's delight within her is termed as freedom in this story. (Jamil, 2009, 157) Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace" deals with a young woman who struggles with wanting what she can't have and the consequences for trying to be something she is not. Mathilde struggles with her low social and economic class, she dreams of...
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...Kate Chopin, born on February 8, 1850 was a novelist and short stories author in the later years of her life. She grew up in the mid 1800's, which was during the time of the Civil War. Kate Chopin was not your ordinary, obedient woman in the time of her existence. Women were taught to be submissive and quiet while Kate was taught by her widowed role models to be independent and outspoken. One of Kate's most famous works was "The Story of an Hour" which is centered on a woman named Louise Mallard who is diagnosed with heart disease. Her husband died in a railroad accident and her sister Josephine informs her as delicately as possible because of her condition. At first, Louise Mallard is heartbroken and mourns her husband's death, then as she looks ahead to what her future holds, she realizes that she is...
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...The short story, “The Lottery”, was written by Shirley Jackson in 1948. Shirley Jackson wrote it while she was living on Prospect Street in North Bennington, Vermont. It took her less than two hours to write this story. “The Lottery” is a story about a sacrifice that’s made on the same day every year where a lottery determines which family, and which individual of the family, gets stoned to death. There are many different pieces of symbolism in this story. One of the items in this story that uses symbolism, and probably the most important, is the black box. It represents the tradition of the lottery and the illogic of the villagers’ loyalty to it. “The black box grew shabbier each year” (2), and it was “splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained” (2), showing it’s age, meaning that the lottery has been going on for a long, long time. They are unwilling to replace it. They plan on replacing it each year, but they never do. They are attached to it because a story claims that the box is made of pieces of...
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...The Yellow Wallpaper and the Wallpaper The short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is about a woman (the narrator) who becomes crazy. She loses touch with the outside world because she is isolated in one room in such a large house. In this short story there are two symbols, people and the bedroom who affect the women in many different ways. Some of these things may seem innocent to her but are a little bizarre to us. The theme of this short story is self-expression. This poor woman is dealing with depression and is being forced to hide her fears and anxiety from everyone so it looks like she is winning the battle. The setting of this short story is mostly takes place in her bedroom. Her husband John is a physician and he said she is sick and needs to stay in her room and rest. So she can’t go outside or interactive with anyone or even her newborn baby. In the beginning of the short story she says “[The house] is quite alone standing well back from the road, quite three miles from the village. It makes me think of English places that you read about, for there are hedges and walls and gates that lock, and lots of separate little houses for the gardeners and people." Meaning that the house looks like a quiet place surrounded by no other houses just like her, she was stuck in a quiet room with just herself. Also she said “A colonial mansion, a hereditary estate, I would say a haunted house, and reach the height of romantic felicity- but that would...
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...The Story of an Hour 1. There are many themes in The Story of An Hour; ‘heart trouble’ – which describes not only the physical affliction of Mrs Mallard but also the emotional suffering in her marriage. Three other themes that are prominent within this story are; death, freedom and oppression. Though, the themes of freedom and oppression can be seen as the main themes within this story, as we see the character of Mrs Mallard – a Mallard is a type of wild duck, which can be seen as being symbolic of her need to be free and to live for herself – struggle to cope with the apparent death of her husband. ‘She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment’, until she was alone in her room where she began to come to the realisation that she had the freedom to be herself, to be ‘free, free, free’ from the restraints of marriage. There is an inward struggle between Mrs Mallard accepting this new freedom, as when Mrs Mallard retires to her room she is told to come out of her room for fear that she would ‘make herself ill’, whereas on the contrary we see that ‘no; she was drinking in a very elixir of life’. Here we see the theme of oppressive nature of marriage appear. As a newly founded widow, she is expected to be upset just as she was expected to be happy in marriage, whereas on the contrary we see that in reality she was not happy then but only happy now her husband is dead. This use of dramatic irony, highlighting the contrast between the characters reality and what is expected...
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...The story of an hour Woman’s rights have changed very much through the last centuries. In the 19th century women were not allowed to make decisions. It was the man who ruled at home. Women just had to obey the man’s orders and do what they were told. Their place was in the kitchen, while the man dominated everything else. In the short story “The Story of An Hour, 1894 by Kate Chopin” we see that Mrs. Mallard, who is the main character of the story, tries to drown her sorrows about the tragically death of her husband. But when she has thought it through, she actually is not that sad anyway. She feels relieved, she feels free. She knows it is going to be hard to see his body and attend the funeral, but at the same time she looks forward to the years that belong entirely to her. No man is ruling over her life anymore: (Chopin, page 2) “"Free! Body and soul free!" she kept whispering.” One day Mrs. Mallard’s sister comes to visit her. She has some very sad news and prepares to tell them as gently as possible, because of the weak heart Mrs. Mallard has. Both her name and the fact about her weak heart, give hints about her personality even before the actual story begins. Mallard is the name of a small and shy duck, which is the most ordinary bird in the world. This name gives associations of being ignored, overlooked and not be taken serious. Mrs. Mallard’s weak heart can also be a symbol for that she has a troubled marriage, because the heart is always metaphorically connected...
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