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Feminist perspective on the story of an hour
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Character analysis of the story of an hour
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In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, the main character of the story, Mrs. Louise Mallard, is oppressed by her husband. Chopin’s works focus mainly on feminism, the relationships between classes, and the relationships between men and women, specifically between husband and wife in “The Story of an Hour” (“The Story of an Hour” 264). Mrs. Louise Mallard lives under her husband for her whole marriage. Mrs. Mallard gets news through her two best friends that Mr. Mallard was in a railroad accident and did not survive. Mrs. Mallard was hit with waves of guilt, agony, sorrow, fear, and grief. Mr. Mallard later comes back home, as he was mistakenly not involved in the accident. Throughout “The Story of an Hour,” Chopin demonstrates how the repression …show more content…
of Mrs. Louise Mallard affects her whole life and her reaction to the death of her husband, Mr. Brentley Mallard. Kate Chopin shows women’s oppression in the nineteenth century in “The Story of an Hour” through Mrs. Mallard saying she is free, she is going to live for herself, and she feels content with Mr. Mallard dead. In Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” Mrs. Louise Mallard’s husband dies, which results in Mrs. Mallard’s freedom. Mrs. Mallard does not understand that she is free until she realizes the words that she is saying: “When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over under her breath: ‘free, free, free!’” (Chopin 645). Mrs. Mallard’s words are subconscious; she recognizes she is free when she hears herself say the words aloud. She says she is free because she was bound to her husband, Mr. Mallard. She is utterly confused with her current situation and loneliness until she finally comprehends her new freedom in the result of his death. Mrs. Mallard is overjoyed with her freedom. All that she can think of is her new life as a completely free woman: “‘Free! Body and soul free!’ she kept whispering,” (Chopin 645). Mrs. Mallard can finally live for her own benefit with her own guidelines. Mrs. Mallard seems to be excited about her new, free life when she looks outside her window. She sees the spring weather with the skies clearing: “But she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air,” (Chopin 645). The symbolism of the clearing, spring skies relates to Mrs. Mallard’s clearing head. As the skies clear for the rebirth of the season, Mrs. Mallard’s confusion starts to vanish as she begins to accept the rebirth of her life freely. Mrs. Mallard does not seem concerned with how she is going to continue her life after her husband’s death; the readers realize that she is happy about his death because she is no longer oppressed by him (Hicks 270). Mrs. Mallard’s recent freedom is giving her a chance to a new life without the oppression of Mr. Mallard. Mrs.
Mallard states that she is going to live her new life independently now that Mr. Mallard is gone; she accepts her newfound freedom and believes that she is now an independent woman. Mrs. Mallard was oppressed by Mr. Mallard, and Chopin hints at this oppression: “Chopin seems to be making a comment on nineteenth-century marriages, which granted one person - the man - right to own and dominate another - the woman,” (“The Story of an Hour” 266). The men and women should be treated equally in marriage and should be free, which relates to Mrs. Mallard feeling oppressed by Mr. Mallard. She realizes that she was below her husband her whole married life: “What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!” (Chopin 645). Her inferiority to her husband controlled her; his death allows her to start over as an independent being. Mrs. Mallard is known to have heart trouble, but readers do not understand what that trouble is until they soon find out: “Later, when we see Mrs. Mallard ‘warmed and relaxed,’ we realize that the problem with her heart is that her marriage has not allowed her to ‘live for herself,’” (Hicks 269). The readers find out that Mrs. Mallard’s mystery heart trouble dealt with her being confined by Mr. Mallard in marriage, which she soon turns away from. Mrs. Mallard’s internal struggle is caused by rushing into marriage; she did not develop herself before developing a relationship with someone else, such as Mr. Mallard: “Love is not a substitute for selfhood; indeed selfhood is love’s pre-condition,” (Ewell 273). Mrs. Mallard may have felt constrained by Mr. Mallard in her marriage because she did not know herself before. If she had known herself before the marriage, she would have known her own constraints and opinions, instead of feeling oppressed by Mr. Mallard. Mrs. Mallard accepts her freedom and independence. She decides to live
her life for her own benefit with only herself in control of her life: “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature,” (Chopin 645). Mrs. Mallard means that no man will ever control or oppress her again; she will be independent in her own way of living. Mrs. Mallard seems like she is satisfied with Mr. Mallard being dead because she is no longer constricted by her marriage. Louise Mallard never says that she dislikes her husband; she only felt constrained by their marriage: However loving Brentley is, though, nothing can compensate Louise for the freedom that she has lost by marrying… no matter how kind Brentley has been, he still imposed his will on his wife. Hence, Brentley’s death is not tragic to her because it gives her own life back to her (Rosenblum 3908). Mrs. Mallard is only happy about her husband’s death because she knows she is free, not because she does not love him. Louise Mallard dies from more than just her heart trouble: Once she decides that she will no longer tolerate her will being bent, that she will control her life fully, there is no place for her in a patriarchal society…Since there is no other society in which she may find a place, when Louise ceases to exist in relation to the patriarchal society around her, she ceases to exist at all (Cunningham). Louise Mallard only wants to live if she can control her life, and if she cannot live that way, then she does not want to live at all. Mrs. Mallard likes the idea of being free, but with Brentley still alive, she will not have a free life. Mrs. Mallard dies from a heart problem which traces back to the pain she has when she finds out her husband is still alive. She may love her husband, but she is looking forward to a life of freedom more (Hicks 268). Chopin does not clearly state whether Mrs. Mallard actually sees Brentley walk through the door. Even with Mrs. Mallard’s friend Richards blocking her view of Mr. Mallard, she dropped dead at the fact of having to live under Mr. Mallard’s oppression again (Cunningham). Mrs. Louise Mallard undergoes many physical and spiritual stresses throughout the story, which leads the readers to believe that Louise Mallard’s death is influenced by the strains placed on her, not her husband’s return (Cunningham).With Mr. Mallard dead, Mrs. Louise Mallard can finally feel content, living a life of freedom without the oppression of any man. By Mrs. Mallard recognizing that she is free, that she is independent, and that she is satisfied with Mr. Mallard’s death, nineteenth-century women’s oppression can be demonstrated by Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour.” Mrs. Louise Mallard wants freedom from her oppressive marriage with Mr. Mallard. She finally sees a glimpse of that freedom when he is thought to be dead; however, when he shows up at her house again, she dies from the pain that she would have to go through again if she stays in her marriage. Mrs. Mallard has a new approach to her life after she understands that Mr. Mallard is dead. She decides that she will live her life under her own circumstances and by her own will. She is content with her husband’s death, even though she does not think he was ever bad to her. She wants to live life as a free woman because she was oppressed for most of her marriage. Many women today are oppressed by their husbands, similar to Mrs. Louise Mallard, and they are still fighting for their freedom since the nineteenth century.
“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
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 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.
Kate Chopin was a Victorian writer; whose writing manifests her life experiences. She was not happy with the principles of the time, because women had fewer rights, and they were not considered equal to men. Afraid of segregation from society, people lived in a hypocritical world full of lies; moreover, Kate Chopin was not afraid of segregation, and used her writing as a weapon against oppression of the soul. Marriage was an oppressor to Chopin, she had been a victim of this institution. Being a victim of marriage, Chopin's "Story of an Hour," is an expression of her believe that, marriage is an institution that oppresses, represses, and is a source of discontent among human beings.
Written by Kate Chopin, the short story “The Story of an Hour” follows Louise Mallard, a woman from the nineteenth century who has just received the news that her husband, Brently Mallard, has passed away in a horrific train accident. Immediately Mrs. Mallard is overcome with grief and sorrow, but her mood quickly shifts when she realizes the independence and free-will she will now have. At the climax of her elation for the future, her husband walks through the door. Mrs. Mallard, shocked and speechless, dies of a heart attack. In the short story, "The Story of an Hour," author Kate Chopin utilizes symbolism, diction, and irony to emphasize the effects of Mrs. Mallard's newfound sense of freedom, and how that ultimately results in her death.
Mrs. Mallard's medical diagnosis is an example of the male-dominated society in which she lives. They are able to tell her that she indeed has a heart condition, but are unable to treat her effectively, portraying how ineffectual male patriarchy is in the life of this woman in particular. Mrs. Mallard is expected to fulfill the stereotypical role of "the angel in the house." She should acknowledge that the comforts in her life are all gifts from her husband, and should make it the primary goal of her life to please him in any way. As a dutiful wife, she must be content in serving and obeying her husband and children. On the other hand, there is the "madwoman in the attic" who breaks free from the constraints set upon women. This woman is seen as a "monster" and "sexually fallen" for simply desiring to have a life outside of her family (Bressler 178). Mrs. Mallard falls into both categories. Though she feels oppressed by her husband, she stills acts as the "angel," faithfully staying by his side despite her unhappiness. However, Chopin provides the reader with small indications of the "madwoman" even before Mrs. Mallard receives the news of her husband's death. The Mallards have no children, which signifies an unfruitful marriage. According to the same male-dominated medical society that is impotent in treating her heart condition, the failure to produce children would have fallen on Mrs. Mallard (Wald 2).
... This woman suffers a tremendous amount from the commitment of her marriage, and the death of her husband does not affect her for long. A marriage such as this seems so unbelievable, yet a reader can see the realistic elements incorporated into the story. This begs the question of how undesirable marriage was during Chopin’s life. The unhappiness felt by Mrs. Mallard seems to be very extreme, but Chopin creates a beautiful story that reflects upon the idea of marriage as an undesired relationship and bond to some women in the nineteenth century.
In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”, the struggle for freedom is dominant. The main character, Mrs. Mallard, stands for a woman who is struggling internally and externally for freedom. After the sudden loss of her husband, Mrs. Mallard gets a taste of the freedom she was lacking in her marriage. Like Mrs. Mallard, women throughout history have struggled to find freedom and success away from their husbands. Chopin herself only became successful after the loss of her husband. In “The Story of an Hour”, Chopin shows women’s struggle for freedom during the Victorian period through Mrs. Mallard’s struggle for her own freedom.
In her story “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin (1894) uses imagery and descriptive detail to contrast the rich possibilities for which Mrs. Mallard yearns, given the drab reality of her everyday life. Chopin utilizes explicit words to provide the reader a background on Mrs. Mallard’s position. Chopin uses “She wept at once,” to describe Mrs. Mallard’s emotional reaction once she was told her husband had been “Killed.” Mrs. Mallard cared for and loved her husband; being married was the only way of life that she knew.
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
A Feminist Perspective on Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour. Kate Chopin employs the tool of irony in "The Story of an Hour" to carefully convey the problem inherent in women's unequal role in marital relationships. Chopin develops a careful plot in order to demonstrate this idea, one not socially acceptable at the end of the 19th century, and unfortunately, a concept that still does not appreciate widespread acceptance today, 100 years later as we near the end of the 20th century. Louise Mallard's death, foreshadowed in the initial line "Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with heart trouble" takes on quite a different meaning when the plot twists and the context of her sudden death is presented unexpectedly, not upon her shock at her husband's death, but instead in her inability to endure the fact that he lives.
Kate Chopin is able to illuminate her stories with clever language and meaning. As well as an immense criticism as to how society oppresses the individual in the glorified institution of marriage. Through language, she is able to introduce the thought of deeper meanings. “The Story of an Hour” being a prime example of the individual that has a need for freedom for herself. Through symbolism and straightforward comments, the freedom that Mrs. Louisa Mallard is notable just as her marriage is oppressive.
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
Mallard through the acts of forbidden joy and the oppression of marriages contributes to the understanding of the work and the time that it was written. The story opens with the reader knowing that Mrs. Mallard was, “afflicted with heart trouble” (Chopin, 15), suggesting a more symbolic notion that she is ambivalent towards her marriage and expresses her unhappiness towards he lack of freedom. Mrs. Mallard ultimately throughout the story questions the meaning of love and rejects it as meaningless. It is arguable to say that Chopin was influenced by women’s roles and other writings at the time, which contributed to her understanding of the meaning of love and courtship. This understanding could be said that it was altered and became more dejected. When Mrs. Mallard dies in the end of the story, it is ironic that she was to die of “heart disease.” This particular death proves that Chopin’s claims of the loss of joy and the return to oppression would kill a woman in this time since independence was a right to be given through the death of their husbands. Another symbolic figure that Chopin uses is the use of the open window, which Mrs. Mallard sees, “blue sky showing here and there through the clouds” (Chopin, 15). The window is Mrs. Mallard’s salvation, ultimately concluding that Chopin doesn’t see any other way for women to be free of their prison during this time. This window acts as a barrier between life and death itself. Once Mrs. Mallard turns away
The main theme in “The Story of an Hour” is a woman’s freedom from oppression. Mrs. Mallard does not react accordingly to the news of her husband’s death; in the third paragraph it states, “she wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment.” After her initial wave of shock and sadness has passed, however, she becomes elated with the thought of finally being free of her husband. Originally, she is described as being “pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body” and having lines that “bespoke repression”; in an attempt to be a perfect wife to a man whom she did not even love, Mrs. Mallard has been masking her true self. Once she realizes that she has finally gained the freedom that she has been longing for, Mrs. Mallard begins to