...Montgomery Mrs. Williams ORM 400 - MCMI 5 July 2011 The Heart of “The Story” Kate Chopin’s “The Story of the Hour” gives the reader an up close and personal account of a woman’s devastating and liberating experience when she is informed of her husband’s death. Chopin wrote during a time immediately following the women’s suffrage movement. She took a very liberal approach to explaining how women felt and how women dealt with the issues facing them. In “The Story of the Hour” we watch Mrs. Mallard and her through process as Chopin develops the themes of love and oppression. The short story begins with Mrs. Mallard being informed of untimely death of her husband in a tragic train accident. The characters informing her are cautious of their relay of devastating news due to Mrs. Mallard heart condition. Chopin immediately begins to show the theme of love. As the reader and the characters continue to think about Mrs. Mallard’s heart, Chopin begins to express her heart condition is one of a physical and literal sense. Mrs. Mallard is a loves her husband and is immediately struck with grief when she learns of his death. She daydreams of the times that they shared and how her life may be insignificant without someone to share love. At the same time, she then begins to think about the love she has having a life of independence and not having to share with anyone. Just as quick as Chopin develops her theme of love, she subtly addresses the theme of oppression. As Mrs. Mallard thinks...
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...“The story of an hour” The short story ”The story of an hour” written by Kate Chopin, is a story about a woman called Mrs. Mallard, she is told by her sister Josephine, that her husband died in a train accident. The way she reacted in front of her sister was very dramatic, but when she was by herself in her room she was not being sad, miserable or devastated, but in a way very relived. In the text we follow Mrs. Mallard’s feelings, about herself and her husband. Kate Chopin wrote “ The story of an hour “ in 1894, which was in a time period, were the women had no rights. In 1894 the gender roles were deadlocked; the women was suppressed by their husband, in family relationship, and in the political and legal sense. The husband had the final say, in all decisions. It was him who ruled over the family’s finances, and decided where the family should live. The woman took care of the house, the children, and was responsible for the housekeeping. The man’s role was to support his family. The woman’s role was to give birth, take care of the home, and assist the husband. At the time the male gender role was portrayed as the strong, powerful, deciding and intelligent gender. Where as the woman, was portrayed as weak, without influence, insensible and the husband’s subordinate (placed under the man). Louise Mallard is a strong, powerful, intelligent and independent woman. She knows how she should behave in front of her husband, family and society. But how she feels and think, is anything...
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...fiction about a married woman named Louise Mallard, who received disturbing news about her spouse dying in a train accident. Louise’s sister Josephine was very hesitant about informing her about the tragic situation that has occurred. She was more afraid to tell Louise because of her heart condition. Therefore, Josephine tries to break the news to her gently about the death of her husband. Louise mallard immediately “wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment” (Chopin, 128). She went to her bedroom where she stood worried by an open window, symbolically meaning that things are about to open up to her. She starts to say “Free, Free, Free” (Chopin, 129) under her breath as if she will now live for herself and not for him. Mrs. Mallard’s family friend and sister were skeptical about delivering this tragic news to her due to her heart condition. Once telling her the news she then returned downstairs where she experiences another shock and disappointment that her husband is not dead. He walked steadily through the front door; ironically, she falls to the floor dead herself. “She had died of heart disease of joy that kills” (Chopin, 129). The author Kate Chopin is trying to show how Mrs. Mallard was...
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...Hannah Radney Professor Andrew J. DiNicola English 1102 July 22, 2014 Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”: Character Analysis of Louise Mallard Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” (1894) is a fictional short story presumably set in America in the late 19th century. Chopin’s story is a description of an hour in the life of Louise Mallard, the protagonist in the story. The subject of the story is the transformation of Louise Mallard after she learns about the supposed death of her husband, Brently Mallard; what she thinks and how she feels as she is alone and contemplates self-assertion for the first time. (Koloski) Chopin first introduces the reader to the main character as only Mrs. Mallard. Given the time period of the story, Chopin directs the reader to the conclusion that Mrs. Mallard has no identity of her own. This reference to her as only by her husband’s last name foreshadows how marriage represses Mrs. Mallard and realistically like many women of this time in history. The virtuous wife, in Mrs. Mallard’s world, accepts the idea that her husband has a right to impose a private will upon her. (Jamil) During the time period in which the story takes place, married women are in a subservient role to their husbands under the “femme covert laws.” “Covert refers to a woman’s legal status after marriage: legally upon marriage, the husband and wife were treated as one entity. In essence, the wife’s separate legal existence disappeared as far as property.” (Lewis 1) A married...
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...Hour" by Kate Chopin, tells an unusual story of a marriage with a surprising ending. Mrs. Louise Mallard, the main character, who has a heart condition is given news that her husband, Brently Mallard, was involved in a railroad accident and had died. Mr. Mallard’s friend, Richard, and Mrs. Mallard’s sister, Josephine, were by her side to deliver the heart breaking news gently. As the news was broke Mrs. Mallard weeps in her sister’s arms, but her reaction is much of a surprise. As Mrs. Mallard has been given the news of her husbands death, she weeps in her sister's arms only to abandon them to be alone in her room. While alone, motionless in her chair, she thinks to herself as she stares out the window to the beautiful outside,...
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...Editors. “SparkNote on The Story of an Hour.” SparkNotes LLC. 2007. http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/the-story-of-an-hour/ (accessed September 29, 2013). In the story, Mrs. Louise Mallards was an oppressed wife of Brentley Mallard. She afflicted with a weak heart and good care was taken to give her the news of her husbands death from a railroad accident. Her sister Joseline told her in broken sentences about the loss of Mr. Mallard. Obviously, Mallard reacted to obvious grief and admits that her husband was kind and loving. She knew at the funeral she would "weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death; the face that had never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead". However, despite the love between each other, Brentley’s death was a release from oppression. She never described ways he oppressed her, but hinted that the marriages in general stifles both women and men. Also, she suggested that she oppressed him as much as he oppressed her. Mallard thoughts that was going through her mind reveals that oppressive of all marriages by far can rob people of their independence. 3.) (2001, 03). The Story of an Hour. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 03, 2001, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Story-Of-An-Hour-31194.html Mallard is stricken with the news of her husband's "death" and soon lead to new found glory of her freedom and then complete...
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...given the right to vote or be heard like men had. Chopin wanted to express the struggles of what women went through, through the life of Mrs. Mallard. Mrs. Mallard was given the news of her husband’s death which took a large toll on her being that she had a heart condition. Chopin included the detail of Mrs. Mallard’s heart disease to ensure that the reader understands why she fell to her death at the end of the story: “Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with heart trouble.” Chopin included that, “When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone. She would have no one follow her.” This quote was given to us to show that Mrs. Mallard had not wanted anyone to see the emotion she was to express. Mrs. Mallard was soon to see the new spring life growing upon the tree tops. Chopin uses words like, “delicious” and “new” to explain the spring time outside the windows. Chopin also uses “blue” to express the sky in which is seen through Mrs. Mallard’s eyes. These adjectives would seem alarming to the reader due to what had just happened in the recent paragraphs. Mrs. Mallard should be grieving her husband’s death, but instead notices how beautiful the world truly is. Chopin uses these words to express that Mrs. Mallard is not sad about her husband, but that she is relieved to not be under his ‘ownership’ anymore. Mrs. Mallard, however, does not like that she feels this way: “’Free, free, free!’ The vacant stare and the look of terror that followed it went from her...
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...work. The theme of Chopin’s piece is essentially a longing for more freedom for women. Chopin reflects her rejection of the “postures of femininity” through her character’s descriptions. She describes her as young with a fair calm face whose lines bespoke repression. Men in the 19th century looked for young and calm attributes in a wife. They wanted a submissive woman to tend to their needs as Chopin’s description suggests. Chopin says that Mrs. Mallard would live for herself. Mallard believes she will be free of marriage, and won’t be repressed as aforementioned any longer by her husband. Chopin displays her character as having a joyous moment after the death of her husband because she is let go being forced into her femininity. Chopin displays a need for more independent women in this piece, suggesting that wronged womanhood is the simple fact that society didn’t allow them to be on the same level as men. Mrs. Mallard realizes a possession of self-assertion which is instantly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being. Mrs. Mallard realizes that she can now rely upon herself for everything and it will become her number one force factor in her life. Chopin successfully conveys the joy a woman can...
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...This story immediately identifies the main character which is Mrs. Mallard who suffers from heart trouble, by revealing to her that her husband had passed away in a tragic accident the way it was told was handled with great care, due to her own health conditions. Josephine who is Mrs. Mallard sister would be the one to do so and Richard being her Husband friend would also comfort her also with his presence. This short story is very literary capturing because it’s a story that many people can relate to and have experience some type of close death in the family. Also they with the way it was handle to break the news to her about her husband death; this is something that also many can relate to especially if they are also dealing with health issues their self. What also was literary capturing with this story was the way family members and friends took inconsideration to tell her the news about her husband being passed away. Even though the story that was told was very sorrowing the way it was said it seem as if the author put a lot of thought into the way she went about what was said. The details of the grief she felt was very literary capturing in this story. The author of this story also went into great detail to make the reader feel as if they was there and had experience this sad sorrow themselves. The way the author would build you with the leading details to how the tragedy happens and how much grief Mrs. Mallard was in was also very capturing. You being the reader would think...
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...locks herself in the room to pull down the wallpaper and free the woman trapped inside. As John arrives and unlocks the door, he faints upon seeing his wife. The story concludes with the woman circling the room, stepping over her husband. The central idea is to show how when one is oppressed and denied the opportunity to be free, it can often have dangerous side effects. "The Story of an Hour" "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin is the story of Mrs. Louise Mallard, a woman with a heart condition, whose sister has arrived at her house to inform her of the death of her husband, Brently. Mrs. Mallard immediately bursts into tears crying into her sister's arms before retreating by herself to a vacant room. Once inside the room, Mrs. Mallard becomes overwhelmed with joy at the thought of the freedom she will now have. As Mrs. Mallard leaves the room, the front door is opened and Mr. Mallard unexpectedly walks in, unaware that he was thought to be dead. Mrs. Mallard, at the sight of her husband, is overcome by her heart condition and dies. The central idea is to show how when one is oppressed and denied the opportunity to be free it can often have dangerous side effects. The main characters in both stories are housewives who seem to be struggling with health concerns. The protagonist's illness in "The Yellow Wall-Paper" is described when thinking about what John, her husband, said, "there is really nothing the matter with one...
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...being extremely mad. Louise Mallard had a different reaction when she had received the information about her husband death involving a train accident. Richards, a close friend of Mr. Mallard, knows that Louise does have heart trouble. So when relaying the information, they “ break to her as gently as possible the news of her husbands death (Kate Chopin IP1).” Going to her room, Louise locks herself in. Now standing there she’s finds a “roomy armchair” facing an open window. The sadness she’s feeling is gradually turning into joy. Kate Chopin “The Story of an Hour” Louise Mallard experiences rare emotions when grieving, which leads to her ironical death. To begin Mrs. Louise Mallard suffers from a heart condition and when asked to believe the story of her husband’s departure, “she did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept significants (Kate Chopin IP3)." Her response was one-off; Mrs. Mallard sobs once and then locking herself in her room. Once sitting in her room she lets her mind run crazy, thinking of what she will do without Mr. Mallard? Could she ever do anything without him? However "There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it fearfully..creeping out of the sky, reaching Puhlmann 2 towards her through sounds, scents, and colors that filled the air(Kate Chopin IP9)." Louise originally shattered, but thinking she begins to like what her future might be like without Mr. Mallard. In this time period society...
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...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 Irony of Louise Mallard’s Widowhood In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, the author disturbs the reader through the character of Mrs. Mallard. Mrs. Louise Mallard is a coldhearted woman who is happy at the news of widowhood, unbeknownst to her family and friends. Mrs. Mallard’s train of thought throughout the story is unexpected and shocks the reader at every turn, but teaches the reader a few things about relationships in the process. Situational and dramatic irony are created through the interpretation of Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to her husband’s death and through her own untimely death. Two different events in this story shock the reader through situational irony. Situational irony occurs when the reader’s expectations of the story are met with an unexpected occurrence, something that the reader wouldn’t have guessed would happen. The first incident takes place shortly after the main character, Louise, is told that her husband has died in a railroad accident. Her immediate reaction is predictable; she clings to her sister and sobs because her husband is dead. When a person loses a loved one that person goes through a mourning period to grieve for the loss and to cope with the death. What the reader is unprepared for, however, is not this display of emotion directly after the news of the accident. Rather than devastated by his death, Louise is overjoyed. Rather than absorbing the news as some women, “with paralyzed inability to accept its significance”...
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...In Kate Chopin's short story, “The Story of an Hour” Mrs. Mallard's heart trouble causes her to live her life with fragility. Throughout the story Chopin focuses on Mrs. Mallard's feelings and proves she is unsatisfied with her marriage and the life she is living. When she receives the unfortunate news that her husband Mr. Mallard died in a train accident, Mrs. Mallard shows little to no remorse. With the use of textual evidence, it can be argued that Mrs. Mallard's death in “The Story of an Hour” is not caused by joy, but rather disappointment that Mr. Mallard is still alive. Mrs. Mallard expresses a sense of happiness that her husband is dead multiple times throughout the story. Chopin describes Mrs. Mallard's reaction to her husband's death as a “paralyzed...
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...story “The Story of An Hour”, 1894 by Kate Chopin, we see that Mrs. Mallard, who is the main character of the story, tries outwardly to drown her sorrows in the death of her husband, who had died suddenly in a train accident. Maybe there is a far more interesting and sensational reason for her apparent fake sadness. Mrs. Mallard’s sister Josefine is one day coming to tell her mother something terrible that happened. Her husband was killed, in a train accident. Josefine is having a really hard time telling her sister about it, but in fact, Mrs. Mallard were at that moment, maybe the happiest person in the world, she hated her husband, and she couldn't get rid of him in any way, this is described as something she has never felt before. ’’She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life.’’ (p. 1, l. 15-16) She wasn't allowed to do anything, she felt like she was trapped “She said it over and over under the breath: "free, free, free!”” (p. 1, l. 35-36) This is a new world for her, she has never tried to live without her husband, now she is allowed to do anything, but she can’t show her joy, because no one is expecting that. The story is written in a time where women’s didn't have any rights, and the only way to get rid of your husband is by death or by cheating on him with another man, but then she would risk her life if it gets revealed. But Mrs. Mallard haven't chosen any of those options. She just held in tight...
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