There are those that argue that Kate Chopin’s literary works helped launch the “modern feminist literary movement.” A common theme in Kate Chopin’s literary works is that there is opportunity for women outside of their traditional roles. A prime example of this is in Kate Chopin’s fictional short story called “The Story of An Hour.” This story was published in 1894 during a time when women were expected to be happy and fulfilled in life solely by their role as housewives. A central theme in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of An Hour” and in her own life is that women can find happiness outside of repressive 19th century marriages.
Mrs. Louise Mallard, the protagonist in “The Story of An Hour” feels the repression of her typical 19th century marriage. Mrs. Mallard is a young woman; however, her face has lines that “bespoke repression.” These lines are likely the result of repression that Mrs. Mallard feels in her marriage. Mrs. Mallard feels as though Brently Mallard has a “powerful will bending hers.” Mrs. Mallard feels so repressed in her marriage, that she shudders at the thought of living a
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Mallard has an epiphany and realizes how much she can do on her own if her spouse’s will is not holding her back. Immediately before Mrs. Mallard has this epiphany, the narrator depicts lots of positive imagery. Louise is seeing that the “the tops of trees…were all aquiver with new spring life.” Before Mrs. Mallard recognizes her newfound freedom, she sees “patches of blue skies showing here and there through the clouds.” Lousise than realizes that without a spouse she can “live for herself.” Mrs. Louise Mallard realizes that “self-assertion” is the “strongest impulse of her being.” Mrs. Mallard looks forward to the rest of her days that “would be her own.” Mrs. Mallard murmurs the words “free, free, free!” and feels relaxed while saying it. Mrs. Mallard is looking forward to the opportunities that have opened for her as a single
These two stories both only a few pages long, describe an extremely important theme within many of Kate Chopin’s writings. “The Storm,” and “The Story of an Hour,” focus on women’s revolt against conformity and the norms of their title. Kate shows how her woman can take their gender confining roles and flip them around to live in peace and freedom. The stories both coincide with the central impression of women challenging and altering their lives from a set view, either ending up with a death or ending with a secret affair. All of the women in Chopin’s stories wanted something to happen to change their lives. They found that change through by being unorthodox, by fighting the flow, and by differing from the mold.
Louise Mallard is a woman who enjoys freedom and independence. She feels soaring relief and fiery triumph upon realizing that, yes, she is finally free. She is free of the weighted ropes of marriage. She fantasizes of her days ahead, living for herself and only herself. “A kind intention or cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of illumination” (Chopin 234). She views the imposing of one’s will on another person as a crime, no matter the intention behind it. She has a taste of freedom after Mr. Mallard’s death and can finally see days without stress ahead of her. Prior to her husband’s death, young Mrs. Mallard feels tied down and even oppressed. “She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength” (Chopin 233). Despite the typical oppression of women throughout the centuries prior to the 1920s, Mrs. Mallard possesses a free spirit.
Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” tries to shed light on the conflict between women and a society that assigns gender roles using a patriarchal approach. Specifically, Margaret Bauer highlights, that most of Chopin’s works revolve around exploring the “dynamic interrelation between women and men, women and patriarchy, even women and women” (146). Similarly, in “The Story of an Hour” Chopin depicts a society that oppresses women mostly through the institution of marriage, as women are expected to remain submissive regardless of whether they derive any happiness. The question of divorce is not welcome, and it is tragic that freedom for women can only be realized through death. According to Bauer, the society depicted in Chopin’s story judged women harshly as it expected women to play their domestic roles without question, while on the other hand men were free to follow their dreams and impose their will on their wives (149).
Women have traditionally been known as the less dominant sex. They have been stereotyped as being housewives, and bearers and nurturers of the children. Many interesting characters in literature are conceived from the tension women have faced with men. This tension is derived from men, society, and within a woman herself. Even though these stories were written during the 19th century when modern society treated women as second class citizens, in “The Storm” and “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin illustrates how feminine power manifests when the female characters are able to discover their freedom.
Mrs. Mallard in “The Story of an Hour,” wants to be free because she feels trapped by her husband. She lives in a male dominant society where they women are controlled by their husbands. In the beginning of the story, her husband dies in a train wreck. Knowingly that she had a heart problem, great care was taken to break to her the possible news of her husband’s death. When Mrs. Mallard is told the news, she “opened and spread her arms,” because she saw a life of freedom. She was overcome with relief to be able to venture out and be herself. She was held down in her husband’s life, but free in his death. Her reaction to his death showed that she thought of her marriage as binding. “The patches of blue sky” represent the life that Mrs. Mallard
Like in many tragically true stories, it would seem Mrs. Mallard 's freedom came too late. Kate Chopin’s, “The Story of an Hour” begins by introducing Mrs. Mallard as a person afflicted with heart trouble. The story builds on this by having Mrs. Mallard’s sister Josephine and her husband Richard explain the situation in a very sensitive manner. Their efforts would prove to be in vain however as Mrs. Mallard then proceeds to emotionally break down. The news shocks Mrs. Mallard to her very core and has her at odds with how she should feel now that all was said and done. After coming to terms with her situation, fate delivers its final blow in a cruel and deceitful ploy towards Mrs. Mallards. And with that, Mrs. Mallard 's dies. In her hour of change Mrs. Mallard 's was delicate, thoughtful and excitable.
In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”, it talks about marriage and a woman’s life in the 1800’s. This story illustrates the stifling nature of a woman’s role during this time through Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to her husband’s death. When Mrs. Mallard obtains news that her husband is dead, she is hurt after a brief moment and then she is delighted with the thought of freedom. This story shows how life was in the mid 1800’s and how women were treated around that time.
In the late nineteenth century, women were perceived as weak and were often mistreated by their husbands. Men were seen as more superior to women. They were expected to obey their husband, they were trapped inside their husbands bubble. The inspiring stories, “The Story of an Hour”, “A Pair of Silk Stockings”, and “Desiree’s Baby” all implement Kate Chopin’s view of women in society. Throughout the short stories, Mrs. Mallard, Mrs. Sommers and Desiree all portrayed how women were dominated by their husband.
Marriage is a sacred, long-standing institution. However, there are times in which the relationship between a wife and her spouse is merely a master-and-slave one. Not until the 1960s did women begin to speak up their voice and require their right of freedom. In her influential work of feminism "The Story of An Hour," Kate Chopin reflects the gloomy marital status of the women in the early 1900s through the life of the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard.
Forbidden Joy: Women’s Struggle for Independence in Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” First-wave Feminism was a popular idea that emerged throughout the nineteenth century, as a wide range of movements by women were established to reach a common goal of equality, politically, economically, personally, and socially. In the United States, the earliest form of activism was focused on the promotion of equally agreed marriages and property rights for women. A feminist theory emerged which attempted to understand the nature of gender inequality by examining the social roles of women. During this time, writing was used as a popular way to express one’s thoughts and feelings about social culture and lifestyles.
Kate Chopin, author of “The Story of an Hour” written in 1894 was the first author who emphasized strongly on femininity in her work. In the short story, Chopin writes about freedom and confinement Chopin is an atypical author who confronts feminist matter years before it was assumed. The time period that she wrote in women were advertised as a man’s property. The main idea in the short story is to illustrate that marriage confines women. In “The Story of an Hour” the author creates an intricate argument about freedom and confinement Mrs. Louise Mallard longing for freedom, but has been confined for so long freedom seems terrible. Mrs. Mallard wife of Brently Mallard instantly feels free when her husband dies. The reason she feels this way
Xuding Wang writes in her essay, Feminine Self-Assertion in “The Story of an Hour”, a strong defense for Kate Chopin’s classic work, “The Story of an Hour”. Wang provides powerful proof that one of the pioneering feminist writers had a genuine desire to push the issue of feminine inequality. Even decades later, Xuding Wang fights for the same ground as Kate Chopin before her. She focuses on critic Lawrence I. Berkove, who challenges that Louise Mallard is delusional with her personal feelings of freedom once she discovers the news that her husband has passed away. The story opens with the line “Knowing Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble” (Chopin). [1] Chopin uses allegory to describe
In the short story, “The Story of an Hour,” author Kate Chopin presents the character of Mrs. Louis Mallard. She is an unhappy woman trapped in her discontented marriage. Unable to assert herself or extricate herself from the relationship, she endures it. The news of the presumed death of her husband comes as a great relief to her, and for a brief moment she experiences the joys of a liberated life from the repressed relationship with her husband. The relief, however, is short lived. The shock of seeing him alive is too much for her bear and she dies. The meaning of life and death take on opposite meaning for Mrs. Mallard in her marriage because she lacked the courage to stand up for herself.
The vision of a dream may be overpowered by a staggering truth, that of forcing a person to accept the exposed reality of destiny. In The Story of An Hour, author Kate Chopin gives the reader the story of Mrs. Louise Mallard. A widow who astonished by her husband’s death is paralyzed by the elusion of the future awaiting. Unwillingly, she is rejoiced as liberation comes into her life. Although Mrs. Mallard loved her husband, she couldn’t defeat the approaching feeling of freedom, the plea for a longer life of empowerment and the reality of a rumbled dream as she realizes her husband’s survival.
Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” is specifically suited for a Feminist criticism because Mrs. Mallard’s problem highlights the disparity in how the women are written and how they are treated in opposition to their male counterparts, revealing a decided diversity between genders. It shows the cultural norms within a patriarchal society are based on biological happenstance instead of intellectual capacity. The way Mrs. Mallard and her supporters behave and how they are depicted demonstrates the diversity and cultural competence outcome which promotes the need for fair and inclusive interactions.