Theme Of Equality In The Story Of An Hour

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Recommended: Literary analysis on the story of an hour by kate chopin

In 1894, when Kate Chopin sat down and wrote "The Story of an Hour", woman had a very set place in society. A woman was meant to get married, and take care of their husband and children. For a woman like Chopin to put words on paper showing that a woman can realize her self-worth without a man by her side was a rarity. The short story has become persuasive propaganda for female equity (Women and Language). Chopin shows how a married woman reacts to losing her husband through an unexpected accident and feeling abandoned, realizing that she can still go on without him because she has self-worth and does not need her husband to be happy. The women of the past faced a completely different set of challenges than those of today. The unity of marriage did not always have a happy outcome for women. The act of putting on a wedding band and saying "I do" could have been considered a life sentence of settling for less than what was truly desired. The realization that freedom from an emotionless marriage is finally within reach and then it being suddenly yanked away would cause anyone to hurt, especially someone with a heart condition. The character Mrs. Mallard from Kate Chopin 's "The Story of an Hour" experiences an abundance …show more content…

The confinement being Mrs. Mallard’s marriage and the unexpected death of her husband being the key to her release into freedom. This freedom is quickly taken away when she finds out that her husband is very much alive sending Mrs. Mallard over the edge, causing her weak heart to give out from the overwhelming loss of her new found freedom. Chopin is able to show a main stream issue that women of the past faced by showing how woman once felt trapped in marriages and were not able to have that feeling of self-awareness. After Mrs. Mallard was able to feel the sensation of self-awareness, having it taken away was devastating and ultimately fatal (Women and

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