An Example of Women Enslaved: "The Story of An Hour" by Kate Chopin

Over the years the roles of women and their rights have drastically changed. They have been dominated, trapped, and enslaved by their marriage. Women have slowly evolved into individuals that

have rights and can stand on their own. Though some women are still enslaved, the rate is lesser than

in the old days. The myth that women are meant to be housewives has been changed. They are now

individuals seen in highly reputable places. However, this change did not happen overnight, it took

years to happen.” The Story of An Hour” by Kate Chopin might be a short story, but it shows how

women felt obligated to stay with their husbands despite the fact that they were unhappy with them. It

shows the positive change that has taken over the feminine world from the eighteenth century until

now . Kate Chopin the author, presents this story with the using dramatic irony to show the liberation

of women in the nineteenth century.

The character, Mrs. Louise Mallard shows the traditional roles of women in the eighteenth

century. In the beginning of the short story, Mrs. Mallard is portrayed is a weak and fragile woman who

suffered from a heart trouble. When the news of her husband’s death was apparent, Richard, a family

friend and Mrs. Mallard’s sister were very delicate in the way they broke the news to her. Once the

news was broken to her, It seemed she would act to her husband’s death in a traditional way “she wept

once with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arm’ (Chopin 256), however Mrs. Mallard flouts the

traditional role of women by overcoming the feelings of sadness and instead replacing it with joyful

feelings.