Louise Mallard in The Story Of An Hour Essay - 1624 Words

Written in 1894, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is a story of a woman who, through the erroneously reported death of her husband, experienced true freedom. Both tragic and ironic, the story deals with the boundaries imposed on women by society in the nineteenth century. The author Kate Chopin, like the character in her story, had first-hand experience with the male-dominated society of that time and had experienced the death of her husband at a young age (Internet). The similarity between Kate Chopin and her heroine can only leave us to wonder how much of this story is fiction and how much is personal experience. Indeed, Louise Mallard and Kate Chopin’s lives are very similar and ironic. Louise’s life began once she came to the realization†¦show more content†¦In my research paper I want to discuss the concept of freedom for a woman in Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, and how the wrong news can make the happiest person in the world a nd then cause her death. Relationships seem to be the favorite subject of Kate Chopin’s stories. As Margaret Bauer suggests that Chopin is concerned with exploring the â€Å"dynamic interrelation between women and men, women and patriarchy, even women and women† (Bauer 146). In â€Å"The Story of an Hour† Chopin deals with the subject of marriage. She illustrates the influence of family alliance on individual freedom. According to Wohlpart,â€Å"The Story of an Hour† describes the journey of Mrs. Mallard against the Cult of True Womanhood as she slowly becomes aware of her own desires and thus of a feminine self that has long been suppressed†(Wohlpart 2). The Cult of True Womanhood in the XIX century included â€Å"purity† and â€Å"domesticity†. The former suggested that women must maintain their virtue. The latter – denied them their intellectual and professional capabilities (Papke 12). Being the victim of this Cult, Louise Mallard was a good exa mple of a wife without â€Å"her own desires and feminine self†. The background of the story gives us the idea of what Mrs. Mallard’s marriage meant to her. We see a picture of a young well-to-do wife who seems to be very pleased with her life. We also get the impression that she was deeply in love with her husband.Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Story Of An Hour By Louise Mallard862 Words   |  4 Pageswith it, but positive reactions are uncommon. Thus, Mrs. Mallard does not find it difficult to face life after her husband’s death. Therefore, in Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of An Hour,† Louise Mallard’s positive reaction to the news of her husband’s death is because she is free from co-dependency; she can make her own decisions, and envisions a new life. However, Mrs. Mallard feels a sense of freedom from co-dependency in Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of An Hour.† She feels an overwhelming sense of relief when she goesRead MoreThe Death of Louise Mallard and Female Identity in The Story of an Hour1858 Words   |  8 PagesIn Chopin’s thousand work short story The Story of an Hour, the protagonist Louise Mallard is afflicted with heart trouble but learns that her husband has died in a railroad accident. Upon her husband’s death, Mrs. Mallard catches a glimpse of what independence feels like, but it is quickly taken away from once her husband returns unharmed. Chopin’s feminist ideals form the basis of this story where she explores female identity in a patriarchal society. For women of her time, marriage could beRead MoreA Story Of An Hour1289 Words   |  6 PagesMost stories have more than one conflict, some bigger than others, but all important as a story progressives to the very moment everything clicks and comes together. After that point, the story starts to wind down, lose ends are tied, and the reader gets the satisfying feeling of a happy ending. The Story of an Hour is not your typical short story; but is similar to others in the way that conflicts are the leading force behind a short story. This story starts with Mrs. Mallard finding out any wife’sRead MoreThe Stoyr of an Hour by Kate Chopin798 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin, is a short story of overwhelming events that all lead up to Louise Mallard’s death. Louise Mallard, who has heart problems, is told by her sister Josephine and her husband’s friend Richard that her husband has died in a railroad accident only to soon find out that her husband is alive and did not have any involvement in the accident. Josephine and Richard both know of Louise’s heart trouble so, â€Å"great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible† theRead Mor eThe Innocence of Brently Mallard in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin574 Words   |  3 PagesThe Innocence of Brently Mallard in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin After reading The Story of an Hour, there seems to linger a feeling in the reader or readers of disgust, or even hatred towards the man. This is especially true for those who have read other popular works by Kate Chopin that also seem to subtly cast the male character in a dim, evil, negative sort of light. So it is not inexcusable to assume that the reason Louise Mallard succumbed to such a sad end is becauseRead MoreA Womans Brief Freedom in The Story of an Hour Essay845 Words   |  4 Pages The Story of an Hour, was written and narrated by Kate Chopin. Chopin utilized an omniscient point of view, while exhibiting various types of irony throughout the story. The story takes place in the 19th century, an era when it was acceptable for men to regulate their wives. The setting is in a house where a discontented housewife is restricted. Women were obligated to take care of their domicile and care for the children--this was their primary purpose as a wife. The story focuses on theRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin Literary Analysis1432 Words   |  6 Pagesargumentative analysis about a particular literature. The analyst is supposed to carefully read the literature and better understand the contents so as to come up with legal analysis. It requires some summary, but it is not a report about the book or the story. It is important in making the reader to understand the message in the book as well as the improvements necessary the literature. It is also important in understanding how a particular author articulates his or her ideas. The real analysis looks atRead MoreThe Quest For Freedom In The Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin713 Words   |  3 PagesFreedom â€Å"Free! Body and soul free!†(paragraph 14) says Louise, a character in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin. Louise continues to repeat this phrase as she believes that her husband is now dead. She is a free woman who may now partake in whatever her heart desires. Usually when a woman becomes a widow she is filled with grief and sadness. Yet, Louise demonstrates otherwise. She is hit with a great amount of freedom rather than the common loneliness a widow experiences. In death, a person’sRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Kate Chopin s The Story Of An Hour 1274 Words   |  6 PagesHaley Morrow Mrs. Crook AP English 25 Sept. 2015 Feminist Literary Theory in The Story of an Hour Women are no stranger to a socially constrained lifestyle and society, especially in the late 1800’s. Women were believed to live a certain way, fulfill certain roles and duties in the household, and to be extremely fragile and weak. This type of culture still exists today but not to the extreme that it once was. Kate Chopin, however, not afraid speak out against the implications of society breaks freeRead MoreThe Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin Essay1528 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin is very intriguing, not only because of the emotional change Louise Mallard goes through the hour after her husband’s tragic death but also the way Chopin uses irony in the story. During this analysis of â€Å"The Story of an Hour† we will discuss the summary, plot, setting, tone, theme, point of view, emotions of Louise Mallard and other characters involved in the story. Chopin’s story uses the feelings of a married woman