Story Of An Hour Analysis

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The Story of an Hour – Kate Chopin’ The Story of an Hour is a short story written by Kate Chopin on April 19, 1894, originally published in Vogue on December 6, 1894 under the name The Dream of an Hour, and later on republished on January 5, 1895 in St. Louis Life under the name The Story of an Hour. Louis Mallard is a married woman afflicted with heart disease and she needs to be informed as gently as possible regarding the news of her husband’s death. Her immediate reaction is a paralyzing feeling of despair and grief; however, as the story advances she sees beyond the horizon and realizes the possibilities of a happy life are not extinct. The story greatly depicts an independent pursuit of happiness as a Louis Mallard encounters ambivalent…show more content…
Written in an omniscient third-person narrative, it enables the story not to be simply limited to the protagonist’s point of view, but rather a more conducted told story. As the title expresses, the story happens within an hour, so there is not a lot of room for the story to develop into a larger scale of exploration and change. The story takes place in the Mallard’s home, described by nothing more than the basic structure, it having several floors, a staircase and Mrs. Mallard’s personal room. The story follows a pattern of Freytag’s Triangle of exposition, rising action, climax and dénouement. The exposition, found in the first two paragraphs, is followed by a long seemingly endless part with an ascending tension that almost covers the entire story. The climax and dénouement does not find its place before the coming of the second-last paragraph where Mrs. Mallard gains knowledge that his husband was, in fact, not dead. We have a series of…show more content…
At the beginning of the story, a dramatic cry of grief strikes upon Mrs. Mallard, encountering a “storm of grief”. The sobbing continues when she is alone in her room, although the crying is now more a subconscious reaction rather than a reaction triggered by emotion. Its significance can be viewed simply as her assumed emotional state; however, it also represents the social recipe of dealing with your husband’s death and that crying is the correct reaction in order to be the socially perfect human being. The crying fades gradually as a psychological process of comprehending the loss of her husband is over. The window is alive and vibrant like Mrs. Mallard’s mind, in the contrast to the rest of the environment and herself is physically reclusive, it symbolizes hope, freedom, opportunities and compassion. As she is having a revelation through this open window, she realizes she wants to be free, body and soul free. Outside she can see hints of freedom and rebirth. Trees of spring life, a gaze at the blue patches of sky and even mentioning the fact that the sun sets in the west are indicators that Mrs. Mallard sees a new life and a new beginning through that open window. It opens up for her that she no longer has to be under a forced commitment, but she can now be possessed with self-assertion, independence and elation - a woman under no man's authority. The portal for this new world seen through that window, and if

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