...The Story of An Hour by Kate Chopin analysis In the following I will analyse the short story “The Story of An Hour” by Kate Chopin. The short story is written on April 19 1894. In the short story we are introduced to 4 characters: Louise Mallard, Josephine, Richard and Brently Mallard. Louise Mallard is the main character in the story. Louise Mallard is married to Brently Mallard. She was afflicted with a heart trouble. Louise lived in an unhappy marriage. “And yet she had loved him- sometimes. Often she had not”. At first when she hears that her husband has been killed in a railroad accident she is miserable, but then she turns out fine. She becomes happy and feels free. “She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength.” She has a dull stare in her eyes. Josephine is Louise Mallards sister. Her husband is Richard. She is the one telling her sister about Brently’s death. Richard is a friend of Brently Mallard and he is also married to Josephine. He is the one seeing Brently’s name leading the list of killed persons in the railroad accident. Brently Mallard is Louise Mallards husband. First he is assumed dead but in the end of the story it reveals that the news about his death was a mistake. The story is set in the home of Louise and Brently Mallard. When Louise is informed about her husband’s death she went into her own room to be alone where she sits down in a comfortable roomy armchair facing the window...
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...Brooklynn Stilwell Dr. Redfield English 112- 20 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...
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...“When the doctors came they said she had dies of heart disease--of joy that kills” (Roberts 342). This is the final and pivotal line in Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour” written in 1894. The story tells a tale of a woman named Louise realizing her husband had died in a railroad accident. She goes to her room only to find a new found freedom she now has without her husband. “She began to weep again and then she was young, she was new, she was somehow reborn” (Fatima). This freedom is crushed when she finally emerges to see her husband alive. The sight kills her where she stood. “When she sees him she dies instantly … she has to continue living a depressing life that has no meaning or excitement included” (Fatima). I am going to show how through the use of such literary devices as irony and connotation Chopin added a depth to the story that moves the reader. The story has one of the best examples of irony you can find. The very last line of the story states that Louise had died of heart disease—of joy that kills. The tragic irony is that it was both joy and sadness that killed her. She dies from the sadness of knowing the joy see realized through looking out her window has been crushed. This joy of freedom and independence is what killed her. Without filling herself with this joy she would not have anything to be destroyed when she realized her husband was alive. So the joy killed her because without it there would be no shock when her husband returned, yet the sadness of loosing...
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...with socializing, instead of taking care of family related things. In the lights of these circumstances, the feminist approach has revealed itself in literature. One of the good examples of feminist literature is Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour”, which exposes the lack of freedom of women in the 1800s. In her story, Chopin estimates the situation of women in marriage and she looks at the life from a female perspective. Mrs. Mallard, the heroine of the story, is a cardiac patient, who had been told what to do by her husband and could not make choices for herself. In a way, Chopin portrays what it is like to be a woman in the late nineteenth century through an ill protagonist. In the story Mrs. Mallard is told that her husband is dead, even though she is emotional at first, she leaps for joy with the recognition of freedom. However, when Mrs. Mallard learns her husband is alive, which means she will lose her moment of freedom all over again, she dies. “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease—of joy that kills.” (Chopin 3) Analyzing of “The Story of an Hour” through the historical and feminist lenses, it can interpreted as an illustrating of a woman’s lack of freedom in a male-dominated society. “The Story of an Hour” was written in the Victorian Era, when a wife was responsible for all household chores without...
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...Challenging the Social Norm. “Story Of An Hour” by Kate Chopin is a telling story about a woman, Mrs. Mallard, who’s given the horrible news that her husband has passed away in a train wreck. Devastated by her husband’s sudden death, she excuses herself and immediately rushes to her bedroom; this is where readers see a different side of Mrs. Mallard. In time she has taken on a different angle of life. Although obviously upset about her husband’s sudden death, Mrs.Mallard has something to be happy about. In 1894 when the “Story Of An Hour” was written, women didn’t have a say over anything and because of her husband's death; Mrs.Mallard learns the cost of both freedom gained, and freedom lost. Kate Chopin lived in a time period when women really did not have any rights. Therefore her stories typically focused entirely around the theme of female characters who dealt with these problems; Chopin was well known for writing about these society blocks. However in her stories the women usually take on a more conventional side than what would be expected. Normally they chose their own path rather than what society would want. One theme in Chopin’s story is freedom (Mayer, 95). In the beginning of “The Story of an Hour” the scene opens up and readers are introduced to Mrs. Mallard, who has been told that her husband has died in a horrible train wreck.She reacts to this news like any other wife would -- yes, she is clearly upset so she excuses herself and rushes off to her bedroom...
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...the two short stories “The Story of an Hour”, by Kate Chopin and “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, by James Thurber. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is a short story written in 1937. The main character is an older man that drives his wife to town for beauty parlor visits and weekly shopping. “The Story of an Hour” was published in 1894. The main character, Louise Mallard, thinks that she will find freedom from the death of her husband. These short stories share a common theme, gender roles within a marriage. Each of the main characters in these stories has their own ideas about the gender roles that they are supposed to play, according to society and the time that they live in. The secret life of Walter Mitty and The Story of an Hour are based on a man Mr. Walter Mitty and a woman Mrs. Louise Mallard, whom believe that they have become prisoners within their marriages. They have to abide by the society standards of their era, divorce is not an option because all marriages have issues and the wedding vows need to be honored, “Until Death due us Part”. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Versus The Story of an Hour In “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” Walter is an elderly American man who is retired and has nothing better to do but to follow his wife around. Walter daydreams about a life that he wishes he had. The focus of this story is to represent a fantasy world opposed to a reality. “The Story of the Hour” presents a much more dramatic effect. This story reflects upon a...
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...gender equality is not something new. The feminist movement has been an old, progressive one. Many women and men alike have had these gender equity ideas for centuries; this idea is not a new one as pioneers from Sor Juana to Kate Chopin to even the present-day Emma Watson, have stated time and time again, women are faced with oppression by the patriarchal society in many different ways that hurt women and men alike. Kate Chopin wrote many short stories in her time that pushed the envelope for the feminist movement. Two stories in particular were “The Storm” and “ The Story of An Hour”. Both of these stories have a female protagonist oppressed by a male antagonist, which very much can be construed as a commentary of what social normal behavior was, a patriarchal driven society that oppressed any type of female freedoms or expressions. In Chopin’s short story, “The Story of An Hour” the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard was able to imagine a life of freedom when she received the news of the death of her husband. While, Mrs. Mallard was not given the liberty to enjoy her newfound freedom, for her husband did not pass away after all; Chopin writes in such a way that even if it was for just an hour, Mrs. Mallard had the life that every person dreams of. Chopin use of windows and open...
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...Gritty Realism During the 1890s, many women were limited to what they were allowed to do. They could not go to school, have a job, or even vote. Men viewed women as though they were only meant to bear children and be a housewife. However, a writer by the name of Kate Chopin was a voice for women all the over the world. Two of her most famous writings are “The Storm”, and “Story of an Hour”. Within these two writings, she discussed issues that many other women writers would have avoided. Another writer who was famous for his portrayal of gritty topics was Ernest Hemingway. One of his most memorable writding is titled “Hills like White Elephants”. These writers were able to write about challenging realistic new ideas such as freedom after the death of a love one, abortion, and adultery. Although some of these stories are deemed gritty, Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants” deals with realistic issues couples often face. These writings also have ironic undertones such as, when Mrs. Mallards dies from seeing from dead husband and the girl who thinks about abortion, but notices greener fields on the other side of the track. Furthermore realism is when an author intends to tell real life events to his/her audience. Realism can appear in many different aspects of society. When it comes to writing, realism focuses on the average individual, and can be heard as a voice for the ordinary human being. There is a focus on realistic people and events. For example in...
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...A Respectable Woman by Kate Chopin “A Respectable Woman” is a short story written by Kate Chopin about Mrs. Baroda who lives with her loving husband in a rich plantation in the early 20th century. The main problem arises in the story when Mrs. Baroda’s husband, Gaston, invites his friend Governail to spend a couple of weeks with them at the plantation. As for Mrs. Baroda, she doesn’t really like this idea because she had planned to spend this time taking and rest and to get in to conversations with her husband. Mrs. Baroda has never met this friend before but she pictures him as a tall, slim, skeptical man and she also didn’t really like that image of him, but when she meets the slim but not tall or cynical Governail, she later figures that she actually likes him but what she can’t figure out is that why she likes him. After much thinking, she still ends up to be puzzled about it. At the same time Mrs. Baroda is eager for this friend to leave as she asks her husband about when Governail is leaving. Finally one night Governail breaks his silence as he starts a conversation with Mrs. Baroda, who isn’t really paying attention to his words but his voice. She realizes that she desires him especially when she desires to touch his face and lips; however she controls those sentiments because she considers herself a respectable woman. The next morning she leaves the plantation to visit her mom and avoid Governail and her feelings for him. After some time, Gaston wishes to invite Governail...
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...Shanika Spencer ENG 112 Short Story Analysis Grief and Relief “The Story of an Hour” authored by Kate Chopin doesn’t actually take an hour to read. From Mrs. Mallard’s diagnosis of heart trouble to her death, “The Story of an Hour” is a conversation between the narrator and the reader. The narrator tells us things about Mrs. Mallard that Mrs. Mallard herself is not aware of. The conversation that the narrator presents to us is so vividly and dramatically written, it makes the lesson of “The Story of an Hour” obvious to whomever is reading it. In the late 1800s there was not yet such a thing as women’s rights or the independence of women. At the sound of keys at the front door, Mrs. Mallard made the ultimate sacrifice for her freedom. In “The Story of an Hour” the narrator is unknown. The narrator is playing the part of the guide, so to speak. The narrator is the guide that clearly presents every detail of Mrs. Mallard’s final moments to the reader. The narrator carefully starts out by telling us about Mrs. Mallard’s heart trouble and the fragility of informing her of her husband’s untimely death. One would expect a great amount of grief after being told that your loved one has passed but it was slightly different in this case. The narrator tells us that “she did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance” (Chopin Page#). Mrs. Mallard did not immediately understand the importance of the news she had just heard...
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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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...Stephens 1 John Stephens Professor Freeland Eng 101 7 January 2009 An Analysis of “The Story of an Hour” Written in 1894, “The Story of an Hour” is a story of a woman who, through the erroneously reported death of her husband, experienced true freedom and happiness. Both tragic and ironic, the story deals with the boundaries imposed on women by society in the nineteenth century. The author Kate Chopin, like the character in her story, had first-hand experience with the male-dominated society of that time and had experienced the death of her husband at a young age. The similarity between Kate Chopin and her heroine can only leave us to wonder how much of this story is fiction and how much is personal experience. Indeed, Louise Mallard and Kate Chopin’s lives are very similar. Louise’s life began once she came to the realization that she could live for herself. During this “hour” she felt true joy and freedom, but her life ended abruptly as her husband walked through the door. Like Mrs. Mallard, Chopin’s writing career began once her husband died. She wrote a few collections of short stories, but when she began expressing her feminist views, the critics walked through the door and her life as a writer was over. The background of the story gives us the idea of what Mrs. Mallard’s marriage meant to her. We see a picture of a young well-to-do wife who seems to be very pleased with her life. We also get the Stephens 2 impression that she was...
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...Literary Analysis of The Story of an Hour Oppression is dominant in many traditional styled marriages, suggesting that the woman stay at home to see to the man’s needs and to bore children, only to later end up old and sad and without independence, seeking resolution and finding only anguish and regret in her endeavors. Death in many cultures is looked upon as a sad event, and in others is respectively as a joyous moment, not because the victim was deceased, but because they are thought to have moved on to a new life. What these two concepts have in common may be vague at first glance, but after reading The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, one can begin to piece together the relationship between these two concepts. The title ultimately has the ability to tell the story before one even has to lay eyes on the first sentence. The Story of an Hour suggests that the woman’s life begin at the very moment that her husband's ended, in other words, this is where her story began. The title goes on to suggest that her new life only lasted for one short hour until she abruptly perished. No other detailed information about how her life was previous to this...
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...Naturalism - Short Stories Seminarleiter: Georg Schiller Datum der Abgabe: 16.04.2011 Female Empowerment in Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening” Anjana Dhir BA Englisch KF, Geschichte NF 3. Semester Table of Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. The French – Creole society of Louisiana 4 2.1 Cultural background 4 2.2 French-Creole women 5 3. The Role of Women 6 4.1 Edna vs. Madame Ratignolle 7 3.1.1 “A Valuable Piece of Property” 7 3.1.2 Edna – The Unusual Woman 9 3.1.3 Adèle Ratignolle – The Archetype Woman 14 3.2 “Mother Woman” – The Patriarchal Ideology 16 4. Chopin’s Imagery 18 5. Conclusion - Edna’s Suicide 19 6. Bibliography 21 1. Introduction A certain ungovernable dread hung about her when in the water, unless there was a hand nearby that might reach out and reassure her. But that night she was like a little tottering, stumbling, clutching child, who of a sudden realizes its powers, and walks for the first time alone, boldly and with over confidence. […] A feeling of exultation overtook her, as if some power of significant import had been given her to control the working of her body and her soul. She grew daring and reckless, overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before. This scene in Kate Chopin’s novel describes...
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...e Story of an Hour" What do YOU think killed Mrs. Mallard? Why? What did you learn by reading the essays following the story? How do you think that reading the sample essays will help you in writing your own essay on fiction? The Story of an Hour written by Kate Chopin is about Mrs. Mallard, the sickly wife of Bentley Mallard who is believed dead. Throughout the story the Chopin describes the rare reaction of Mr. Mallard towards the institution of marriage after her husbands dead. Chopin describes the grief of the woman in such a sad event, as a potential for the woman to change her life in a positive way. The different ways in which the author describes Mrs. Mallard feelings and actions after the notice are purposed to reveal the problems of being tied to another person. From my point of view the concept of being married means being tied to another person no matter how good or bad circumstances are. The matter of fact is that being tied to another person, prevent us from being ourselves. The story of an hour clearly reflects this concept beginning by describing Mrs. Mallard as a woman with a “heart trouble” and not certainly because she is unhealthy. All of her illnesses come her condition within marriage, either because she finds out about her husband death or because of the inherent thought of being tied to her partner. This is explained later as the author describes the main character as "young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain...
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