In both of Chopin’s short stories, “The Story of an Hour” and “Desiree’s baby”, Chopin highlights the oppressive nature of marriage. Both short stories illustrate a tale of heartache, regret, and the dangers of instant gratification. Without equality within the bonds that tie us together, death is often the result. Each of the character’s experience true renowned joy and just as quickly lose that joy. This joy is similar to a drug addiction and drug withdrawal. During their moments of joy they are enthralled with this new feeling and new meaning of life. And just as quickly as their hopes were raised, the hope that love could be true, they were cast back down into a pit of despair.
In the case of The Story of an Hour with Mrs. Mallard, she is overwhelmed with joy to be released from her gender constricting chains. She is released from the oppression of her dominate husband. Mr. Mallard was a man who fit the stereotype of an oppressive white male and was most likely proud of himself to be dominator of womankind alike. I can only make the assumption that Mr. Mallard is indeed as oppressive as the text suggests. “There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it fearfully.” She speaks of this joy as if it is the boogie man about to get her and it makes sense to be afraid. She was afraid of being happy after only knowing sadness. If she had not been happy since before her marriage then happiness was something she was not familiar with and it is human nature to fear the unknown. Yet she is waiting, waiting patiently for her joy to overcome her. She is out of the dark tunnel and can see more than just a pinhole of light. She talks about “the tops of trees that were all aquiver”. The trees quiver with excitement just as she f...
... middle of paper ...
...d because that is what has been passed down through cultures past. The man is almost always the dominator because he is the supporter/bread-winner. What most western cultures have failed to accept is that women are the carriers of life itself. Without equality ingrained within a binding marriage there can only be harvested fear, shame, and oppression; and that fear, shame, and oppression is passed down onto the next generation. The cycle of hate will continue until both participants of a binding espousal are given the same rights, liberties, and the pursuits of happiness. Without the bees, the flowers die. Without the flowers bees get with trees.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate, and Kate Chopin. The Story of an Hour. Logan, IA: Perfection Learning, 2001. Print.
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening, and Selected Stories of Kate Chopin. New York: New American Library, 1976. Print
“The Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin, published in 1894, tells a story of a woman who believes she will now experience freedom from her repressive marriage. Chopin records the rollercoaster of emotions Mrs. Mallard felt after learning of her husband’s death. Mrs. Mallard experiences strong emotions but not of grief or despre but rather freedom and joy. After the death of her husband she realizes the limitless potential of her own self-assertion. In the story, the reader sees the common view of marriage in the late nineteenth hundreds. Mrs. Mallard felt free from a redistricting and sheltering marriage and becomes self possessed. Later, when Mrs. Mallard learns that her husband still lives, she know that all hope of freedom is gone. With the use of symbolism and characterization, Chopin creates the under lining theme
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening and Selected Short Stories of Kate Chopin. New York: Penguin Books, 1996.
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. A Norton Critical Edition: Kate Chopin: The Awakening. Ed. Margo Culley. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 1994. 3-109.
Davis, Sara de Saussure. "Kate Chopin." Dictionary of Literary Biography, Vol. 12 pp. 59-71. Literature Resource Center. Gale Group Databases. Central Lib. Fort Worth, TX. 11 Feb. 2003
Wyatt, Neal "Biography of Kate Chopin" English 384: Women Writers. Ed. Ann M. Woodlief Copyright: 1998, Virginia Commonwealth University. (26 Jan. 1999) http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/katebio.htm
In "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin, we are introduced to Mrs. Mallard. She is portrayed an unloving, heartless, woman who is overjoyed by the passing of her husband- or at least that is the common misconception. Mrs. Mallard although perceived as inhuman, is actually more human than most would like to believe. While her actions may seem questionable or even to be condemned, they are hardly unthinkable in light of the issues involving marriage and the woman's role throughout history. The story itself presents a valid argument in favor of Louise as she is portrayed as the oppressed wife finally set free after her husband's death.
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.
Chopin, Kate. Complete Novels and Stories. Ed. Sandra M. Gilbert. New York: Library of America, 2002. Print.
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: W.W. Norton, 2007. 535-625. Print.
In conclusion, “The story of an hour” is a clear depiction that women status in the society determines the choices they make about their lives. In this work, Chopin depicts a woman as a lesser being without identity or voices of their own. They are expected to remain in oppressive marriages and submit to their husbands without question.
Chopin, Kate. "Desiree's Baby." The Awakening and Other Stories. Ed. Judith Baxter. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1996.
Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. “Kate Chopin.” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, Sep2013. Academic Research Database. 1 Nov. 2013
In her story, Desiree’s Baby, Kate Chopin underlined the contrast between lust and love, exploring the problem of a man’s pride that exceeded the love he has for his wife. Armand, the main character of the story, is a slave owner who lived in Louisiana during the era of slavery. He married an adopted young woman, Desiree, and together they have a son who eventually became an obstacle in the way of his father’s happiness, thus removing out the true character of Armand. Desiree’s Baby, by Kate Chopin is a love story, love that ultimately proved to be a superficial love, a story that shed light on the ugly relationships between people. “Lust is temporary, romance can be nice,
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Eds. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 3rd ed. New York: Pearson, 2010. 261-263. Print.