Joy of Marriage - Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour

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In the short story " The story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin, she writes about the impact of being in the social institution of marriage. The author masterfully describes the Protagonist, imagery and irony that captures the readers' attention, and emotions of grief, hope, and joy. As author Kate Chopin brings our attention to these exquisite feelings, she addresses the conflicts one might face as they join into the joys of marriage. The short story opens with the news of the death of Mrs. Mallard's husband. Her sister Josephine was careful to tell her sister of the tragic loss of her brother-in-law, since her sister was "afflicted by heart trouble." Upon the first reading of this sentence, readers might infer that Mrs. Mallard suffered from a broken heart and may have even dabbled in extra martial activities, or she may have suffered from a previous heart attack. It is unclear to the reader whether this outburst that Mrs. Mallard experiences is due to grief or joy. Only after reading further into the short story would one understand the importance of Josephine kneeling at the bedroom door requesting admission (paragraph 16). Kate Chopin skillfully places these words at the opening of her story to allow readers to envision Mrs. Mallard as frail. She later goes own to show Mrs. Mallard as being frail from the mental anguished she encountered in her marriage. In our ever-changing society, there are more and more non-traditional families, women are more liberated than previous years and some opt to be single. As Mrs. Mallard retreats to the security of her bedroom to reflect and grieve about her loss, she notices all the rejuvenation of spring out her window. Kate Chopin uses Mrs. Mallard senses to cleverly describe the new life t... ... middle of paper ... ..., Brently Mallard, had now come back to haunt her. This story ends with the death of Mrs. Mallard shock from the arrival of her husband from his business trip. He is greeted by the intense shriek from Josephine, and almost immediately it appears that Louise is greeted by a heart attack which ends her life and the thoughts of having another still imposing on her life. In conclusion, the short story deals and addresses the conflicts one might face as they join into the joys of marriage. Marriage as it is know in today's society is professed to be filled with happiness, romance and perfection. Kate Chopin uses this short story to show that even though entering into the institution of marriage is great. After the newness of romance is gone and the harsh reality of losing your identity settles, your life will now revolve around the imposition and care of another.

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