...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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...Comparing “The Story of an Hour” and “The Necklace” Short stories are always very enjoyable to read. They are very concise but mostly have such a deep message resonating throughout the text that the reader is left pondering over an extension of the story to imagine the possible ending if they were novels instead. The works under consideration are meant to be compared because of their unique theme which reflects how two authors can write similar yet distinctive stories in different times. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and “The Necklace” by Guy De Maupassant are two such short stories whose themes center around role of gender and marriage with special focus on the female characters. Even though there are similarities, there are also differences which I plan on discussing in more detail, differences such as the two female characters one experiences death while the other a lesson from life. “The Story of an Hour” revolves around the female character Louise Mallard who has been gently told that her husband died in a railroad disaster, news which Richard, her husband’s friend learnt from somewhere. Since Mrs. Mallard is a heart patient she feels very depressed and seeks to sit in solitude as she learns about her husband Brently’s death. As the story unfolds one learns that Louise Mallard is in fact more “free” and utters the word repeatedly as she realizes that she will be independent from this time onwards. She fantasizes her freedom staring blankly out the window knowing...
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...things without the consent of their husband. This paper shows how this is evident in the "Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin and "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner. In both stories, the use of literary elements such as foreshadowing, symbolism, and significant meaning of the titles are essential in bringing the reader to an unexpected and ironic conclusion. The similarities begin with both of the authors being raised in the south. We can presume that is one way they could described the situations that they faced so accurately; situations like political and social presumptions problems especially for women at that time. Chopin writes how “women are to be seen and not heard”. That was the standard for women in those days. Women had no basic rights like voting and generally lived under their husband’s rule. Chopin's stories seemed very modern even though it was written over 120 years ago. Chopin stretched boundaries with her writing. The late eighteen hundreds were a rough time for women and there were not the options like divorce that is available now. Through Mrs. Mallard, we could see the social repression that women felt at that time. Therefore, in this story there is so much domination, Chopin said "They were locked into marriages" that probably loved. At least Mrs. Mallard says her husband "never looked at her save with love" (Chopin). In the beginning of The Story of an Hour, Chopin referred to the protagonist as Mrs. Mallard; an appendage of her husband Brently...
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...Life and Death of a Marriage Steven ENG 125: Introduction to Literature Professor: * Every short story generally follows a set of features. Whether it is the plot, a conflict, the setting, the time frame, the characters, the point of view, the themes, the styles, tone or the symbolism, (Clugston, 2014) short stories all have their similarities and differences. These similarities and differences are evident in the stories How I Met My Husband and The Story of an Hour when the main characters take journeys in life surrounding sad, emotional, and joyful events. These stories both follow a chronological pattern in order to create suspense and drama in stories that create a different style ending in their story; one is a happy ending and the other is sad. Both of these stories take place in different times, times that established different standards and views for all women. The women these stories are center around are both looking for love and happiness, however, the needs and wants of each ladies definition is slightly different as examined by their marriages. * Throughout life, people take on adventures full of journeys, trials, and tribulations. During life, most people will go through the steps of growth and development and one day may face marriage. Marriage is something that everyone seems to view differently these days and as time has elapsed, the definition of marriage has changed. There are quite a few people who have different views one what marriage...
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...assignment, you suddenly develop an enormous desire to straighten your books, water your plants, or sharpen your pencils for the fifth time. If this situation sounds familiar, you may find it reassuring to know that many professionals undergo these same strange compulsions before they begin writing. Jean Kerr, author of Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, admits that she often finds herself in the kitchen reading soup-can labels—or anything—in order to prolong the moments before taking pen in hand. John C. Calhoun, vice president under Andrew Jackson, insisted he had to plow his fields before he could write, and Joseph Conrad, author of Lord Jim and other novels, is said to have cried on occasion from the sheer dread of sitting down to compose his stories. To spare you as much hand-wringing as possible, this chapter presents some practical suggestions on how to begin writing your short essay. Although all writers must find the methods that work best for them, you may find some of the following ideas helpful. But no matter how you actually begin putting words on paper, it is absolutely essential to maintain two basic ideas concerning your writing task. Before you write a single sentence, you should always remind yourself that 1. You have some valuable ideas to tell your reader, and 2. More than anything, you want to communicate those ideas to your reader. These reminders may seem obvious to you, but without a solid commitment to your own opinions as well as to your reader, your prose will...
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