In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, the author uses many conventions in this narrative short story such as character development, plot control, and irony. By using these conventions, she is able to captivate the reader in an interesting yet twisted short story.
Chopin wrote this story intentionally making it seem realistic. Realistic writing uses common occurrences, controversial topics in society, and character interactions. Usually this style of writing is very ironic just like “The Story of an Hour”. For example, realistic writing is used in this story when Mrs. Mallard’s sister breaks the news of the tragic incident. “It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing” (Chopin 3). This brings out realistic writing because most people would break the news of a death this way. Through this style of writing, one can tell that Chopin wrote with not only the intent to entertain the reader, but at the same time put a realistic mind set in their head. The idea of marriage in this story is different from what most would believe. People are taught to grow up, be married, and then one is happy. Mrs. Mallard is not happy. She is trapped in her marriage dying to get out.
The author blends the together plot and character development to make the reader feel the same emotions as the ones going on in the story. The plot in a story is classified as the sequence of events in a story which usually includes an introduction, rise to action, climax, and a fall from action. Character development is the readers idea of the character after he or she has read the story. The plot is the same for every reader, but the opinion one has on a character in the story can vary. Chopin uses bo...
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... uses a variety of words to bring the feelings of Mrs. Mallard to life about the death of her husband. An example of this would be “drinking in a very elixir of life” (Chopin 56). Chopin also uses the open window to symbolize a new life full of new opportunities waiting for the newly widowed Mrs. Mallard. However, she is crushed by this closing window when she realizes her husband is still alive. All of the joy, happiness, and freedom were once again closed. The open window is more than just a window. It is the open window Mrs. Mallard seeks the most and her only chance of freedom and joy. Too bad it had to close on her.
A lot of detail and thought went into the creation of this short story. “The Story of an Hour” uses the plot, characters, and irony to produce and incredible short story giving the reader new perspectives on the idea of marriage and control.
After reading The Story of An Hour by Kate Chopin, Daniel Deneau remarkably breaks down and analyzes the most intense aspects of the short story. Deneau acknowledges simple things such as “the significance of the open window and the spring setting” along with more complex questions including what Mrs. Mallard went through to achieve her freedom. He also throws in a few of his own ideas which may or may not be true. Almost entirely agreeing with the interpretation Deneau has on The Story of An Hour, he brings stimulating questions to the surface which makes his analysis much more intricate.
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. Kelly J. Mays, ed. Portable 11th ed. New York: Norton, 2014. 278-280. Print.
Kate Chopin has style that makes her work seem more like a story told in person just for the reader than one written in a book to a diverse audience of potential readers. She tends to go into great detail over the thoughts and actions of characters, giving the reader insight they would not normally have, almost as if they were mind readers witnessing the event. When Chopin describes the situations her characters are in, she tends to utilize short, to the point sentences that are the bare minimum to cover said situation, followed by a very long sentence that expands upon the first. She also tends to use short sentences in quick succession to illustrate a point. Often these are character realizations, and it feels like a short train of thought leading to a conclusion within the character's mind. These sections usually use anaphora, the repetition pounding the ideas into the reader's head. As stated before, Chopin describes most everything in great detail. Her choice of words goes between passive observation and strong opinion. When describing scenery, she might describe the colors and situation of it, or she may become excited and give a fervent description polluted by the feelings of Edna, the main character. These changes in diction add to the story, and the reader is no longer a reader yet again. Instead, this style allows us to feel changes in the mood of the characters. Rather than being told “He was happy”, “He was passionate”, “He was apathetic”, the reader feels like they are entering the scene and tasting the mood themselves. This change in diction also tends to accompany a change in tone. In the beginning of the story, the tone was one of anticipation, as a patient child waiting for a caterpillar to ...
In the short story, “The Story of an Hour,” author Kate Chopin presents the character of Mrs. Louis Mallard. She is an unhappy woman trapped in her discontented marriage. Unable to assert herself or extricate herself from the relationship, she endures it. The news of the presumed death of her husband comes as a great relief to her, and for a brief moment she experiences the joys of a liberated life from the repressed relationship with her husband. The relief, however, is short lived. The shock of seeing him alive is too much for her bear and she dies. The meaning of life and death take on opposite meaning for Mrs. Mallard in her marriage because she lacked the courage to stand up for herself.
Marriage can be seen as a subtle form of oppression, like many things which are dictated by social expectations. In Kate Chopin’s The Story of An Hour, Louise Mallard finds herself in distress due to the event of her husband’s death that makes her question who she is as a person. The author cleverly uses this event to create the right atmosphere for Mrs. Mallard to fight against her own mind. As the short story progresses, we see that Mrs. Mallard moves forward with her new life and finds peace in her decision to live for herself. This shows that marriage too is another chain that holds oneself back. Not wanting to admit this to herself, Louise
Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Compact 5th ed. Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell. Boston: Heinle, Thompson Corporation, 2004. 82-83.
Mrs. Mallard is the example of a typical housewife of the mid 1800’s. At the time, most women were not allowed to go to school and were usually anticipated to marry and do housework. During that time, the only way women could get out of a marriage was if they were to die or their husbands was to die. In that time period, the husband had control of all of the money, so it would not be wise if the wife were to leave the financial freedom that was provided by the husband. This is most likely why Mrs. Mallard never leaves her husband’s death, she is sad at first but then experiences an overwhelming sense of joy. This shows that she is not in a fulfilling marriage as his death means she will finally have own individual freedom, as well as financial freedom being the grieving widow who will inherit her husband’s wealth. In the words of Lawrence I. Berkove he states, “On the other hand, Chopin did not regard marriage as a state of pure and unbroken bliss, but on the other, she could not intelligently believe that it was desirable, healthy, or even possible for anyone to live as Louise, in the grip of her feverish delusion, wishes: to be absolutely free and to live totally and solely for oneself.” (3) Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to her husband’s death is Chopin’s way of expressin...
...t the end of the story shows that liberation of women in a society ruled by a patriarchal mindset is doomed to fail (Wan 169). According to Wan, the story of an hour is a true depiction of representation of women in the nineteenth century when movements against oppression of women began to emerge (170). Although the outcomes were not as tragic as depicted in the story, it was obviously a journey filled with many challenges, and the fact that a viable resolve is yet to be achieved to date shows the issue of gender equality is grim.
Chopin reflects her rejection of the “postures of femininity” through her character’s descriptions. She describes her as “young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression.” Describing her as young and calm are what men looked for in a wife in the 19th century. They wanted a submissive woman to tend to their needs as Chopin’s description suggests. Furthermore, Chopin says of her character Mrs. Mallard, “she would live for herself.” Her character believes she will now be free of her marriage, and won’t be “repressed” as aforementioned any longer by her husband. Wives had a natural servitude towards their husbands as husbands worked and went about their lives. All in all, Chopin displays her character as having a joyous moment after the death of her husband because she is let go of being forced into her “femininity.”
Short Story Analysis “The Story of the Hour” by Kate Chopin portrays an opposing perspective of marriage by presenting the reader with a woman who is somewhat untroubled by her husband's death. The main character, Mrs. Louise Mallard, encounters the sense of freedom rather than sorrow after she got knowledge of her husband's death. After she learns that her husband, Brently, is still alive, it causes her to have a heart attack and die. Even though “The Story of the Hour” was published in the eighteen hundreds, the views of marriage in the story could coincide with this era as well. Louise is trapped in her marriage.
Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” is about young a woman who is addressed by her married name, Mrs. Mallard, whose husband befalls a tragic death. Instead of being sad and full of despair for the rest of her young life she feels a very strong sense of relief because in all honesty she never liked the idea of not having free will in her marriage. As she sits in her room and thinks about her situation she only feels relieved, almost happy that her husband died because now she can live her life. However just when her life seemed to be going in a very positive direction Mr. Mallard turns up at the house, very much alive. Seeing her husband alive causes her such distress that she has a heart attack and dies immediately. The irony in this situation with the use of many distinct symbols, help establish the theme of the inherent oppressiveness of marriage.
Chopin first shows the struggle by telling how Mrs. Mallard’s sister, Josephine, and friend, Richards, expect Mrs. Mallard to react to her husband’s death. Chopin starts the story by saying, “[k]nowing the Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with heart trouble, great care was taken to break her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death” (30). The heart condition introduced in the first line of the story is actually the weakness
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” Backpack Literature. 4th ed. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson: 2012. 168-170. Print.
Chopin implements numerous examples of diction throughout “The Story of an Hour.” To describe Mrs. Mallard’s grieving, the author chooses the words “wept,” “storm of grief,” and “haunted.” These help the reader understand the pain the wife is suffering now that she is free. Chopin also uses the words “delicious” and “triumph” to describe Mrs. Mallard’s attitude after realizing her freedom. By choosing these words, the reader knows that the wife is overjoyed to be free, despite losing her husband. Finally, Chopin uses diction when describing characters. Mrs. Mallard is seen as “fair” and having a “calm face.” By using gentle words, the reader realizes that Mrs. Mallard is just like any other person overcome by grief. By using specific words, Chopin conveys the message of freedom by allowing the reader to get a glimpse of what the main character is feeling and
Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour is a brilliant short story of irony and emotion. The story demonstrates conflicts that take us through the character’s emotions as she finds out about the death of her husband. Without the well written series of conflicts and events this story, the reader would not understand the depth of Mrs. Mallard’s inner conflict and the resolution at the end of the story. The conflict allows us to follow the emotions and unfold the irony of the situation in “The Story of an Hour.”