Oppressive Marriage

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The Oppressive View of Marriage
The Story of an Hour, a short story written by Kate Chopin, shows the author’s personal experiences and attitudes about marriage and independence. Chopin in her short story introduces Mrs. Louise Mallard as her main character. Interestingly, after learning the news of her husband’s apparent death, Mrs. Mallard experiences an unexplained form of freedom rather than feeling empty and lonely at heart. Later, after realizing that her husband, Brently, still lives, Mrs. Mallard discovers that her hope of being free at last is lost. Mrs. Mallard sees the return of her husband as a disappointment because she had now started enjoying the feeling of being free. The short story highlights a clear view of the author’s life …show more content…

Louise Mallard’s situation that being in a marriage as a woman can deprive one of her independence and personality. The short story gives a reader both the life in a marriage and life without marriage. Readers learn that there is a sense of freedom out of marriage. After learning of the death of her husband, Mrs. Mallard feels rejuvenated, but after her husband’s returns, she feels repressed and crushed inside, which made her to be in a state of shock. The oppressive nature of marriage present in The Story of an Hour may be a true reflection of what marriage felt like in late eighteen hundreds. In addition, after reading the short story, one understands marriage felt like back in the late eighteen hundreds and how it has changed over time. The story also shows the role played by both men and women in the society. The story The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin enables women to think about how marriage can affect or change their lives. This means that an individual needs to think so much about marriage before committing to a life partner. In as much as life and relationships are complex, none of them are more complex than

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