Literature In Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour

Literature can be defined as large works of words and stories that have become classics over time. It comes from the Latin term littera, meaning letter, which is in support of Literature being written, although some are oral. Literature writings can be written in the form of poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays. Those writings can include a specific type of language, period, people, particular subject, and even literary devices. Some examples of literary devices are irony, metaphor, mood, alliteration, and motif. So could The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, a fiction story, be defined as literature? Well this fictional story did become a classic over time having a particular subject(meaning) during a certain time period involving

It is a short story written by Kate Chopin on April 19, 1894 and was originally published in Vogue on December 6, 1894. It was first titled, “The Dream of an Hour” until it was reprinted in St. Louis Life on January 5, 1895 as the Story of an Hour. The story revolves around Louise Mallord when she is told by her sister that her husband has been killed. Mrs. Mallord has a heart condition so she is told the news as gently as possible. The rest of the story she spends in her room looking out a window at her longed freedom. This is something she could not obtain while being married to her husband. At the very end of the story Louise is told Mr. Mallord is actually alive. The news and sight of this causes her to have a heart attack or some illness (shock) related to it ending her

One theme in this story is forbidden freedom. The freedom represents Louise’s independence that she receives from hearing about the death of her husband. Louise is only able to dream of that independence for a little time since in the end her husband turned out to be alive. Another theme is the oppression of her marriage. Even though Louise describes her husband as loving and caring she still feels joy after hearing he is dead. The motif of this story is weeping which is something Louise either does or thinks about doing throughout the story. She even imagines herself weeping over Mr. Mallard’s dead body. The only time she is not weeping is when she is thinking of her new found freedom. An important and most used symbol throughout the story would be the open window. After hearing about her husband’s death she goes upstairs where she barricades herself in her room starring out the window. Louise gazes through this open window during most of the story. While looking out the open window she dreams of her endless freedom and the opportunities it