In The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin tells the story of a woman named Louise Mallard. From the beginning of the story the reader is told that Mrs. Mallard is afflicted with a heart condition. Knowing this, breaking the news of her husbands death will be traumatizing to Mrs. Mallard unless it is delivered gently. However, once Mrs. Mallard is informed of this terrible news, she skips all the stages of grief, and only mourns for a relatively short period of time. She then reveals that she is not sad
Kate Chopin author of, “The Story of an Hour,” efficiently illustrates the span of Louise Mallard’s emotions in the wake of the news of her husband’s death. Louise’s mental state goes from initial pangs of grief, to bewildering sense of joy, and finally exhilarated awareness of sudden freedom. Through Louise Mallard’s transformation from repressed wife to liberated widow, Chopin critiques the oppression inherent in marriage for wives at the turn of the century. “The Story of an Hour” was written
Hour” by Kate Chopin demonstrates the internal struggle of Louise Mallard as she is confronted by the loss of her husband. Confused by her feelings, Louise Mallard realizes the forbidden joy of independence that arises in her after the initial shock of losing her husband passes. Louise Mallard’s reaction to her husband’s death was a “storm of grief”, sweeping her away with “sudden, wild abandonment.” This reaction demonstrates Mallard’s unstable emotional state. Though she is clearly a sensitive
Louise Mallard’s emotions have been repressed to fit in the mold of conventions all her life. First, Mrs. Mallard’s “heart trouble” (Chopin) is symbolic of the fact that she is afflicted with a weak heart, emotionally speaking. Indeed, it is a nice way for Kate Chopin to
“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin analyzes sixty short minutes of Louise Mallard’s life. In this short period of time, she experiences an immense feeling of liberation from her oppressive marriage. Louise has been continuously cared for her and treated very gently because of her illness. These actions displayed by her family members led to her having no control of her own life. With the death of her husband, Louise experiences a new found freedom as she realizes the potential of controlling her
Individuals have their own way in dealing with the death of a loved one. Rather holding back the tears, or silently crying out for help, screaming at the top of their lungs. However, as for Mrs. Mallard, it was a little different; for her it was an odd reaction as she heard the bad information about her husband’s death in a train accident. Richard the closest friend of Mr. Mallard knows that Mrs. Mallards has a very weak heart. Richard had to break it to her as gently as possible because of her
of the Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley and Louise Mallard into The Story Of An Hour by Kate Chopin. As we see it both characters had to endure the hardship of patriarchy governing those times in which women were repressed. On one hand, according to Pope, it can be appreciated that women have been stereotyped as emotional, home- and child-centred, quiet, passive, beautiful and smooth. Considering, these stereotypes we claim that Ginny Cook as well as Louise Mallard agree with the stereotypes presented
can tell this by looking at her joy over her husband’s death. After hearing the news about her husband’s death, Louise tries to reach out for a freedom that she feels from an open window of her room. During the time when this story was written, women were viewed as a mans’ property and controlled by them, once they were married. Mrs. Mallard’s heart condition reinforces the trouble in her marriage to Mr. Mallard. After discovering the death of her husband, she shows grief for a moment and then she
story of an hour , Kate Chopin writes about a woman named Louise whose overbearing husband is supposedly dead. She begins to mourn the death of her husband until she realizes this may be the gateway to a new freedom and independence. Chopin gives the readers the perception of how marriage could be constraining. Throughout the story, Kate Chopin emphasizes on the theme of marital oppression. The author shows that marriage is oppressive when Louise begins to realize that she is now free from the obligations
society in the 1800’s and how it affected women’s views. Chopin uses the story of Mrs. Mallard, a presumed young woman, with heart problems; the story is about the supposed death of her husband, and how it affects her view on marriage and her life. The first instance of irony is when Mrs. Mallard first learns about her husband’s death; the expected response would be for Mrs. Mallard to mourn. Mrs. Mallard does, for a bit. She wept alone in her room, over-looking the “new spring life,” the peddler, the