Essay on Marital Oppression In The Story Of An Hour by...

In The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, we are introduced to Mrs. Mallard. She is portrayed an unloving, heartless, woman who is overjoyed by the passing of her husband-Ââ€" or at least that is the common misconception. Mrs. Mallard although perceived as inhuman, is actually more human than most would like to believe. While her actions may seem questionable or even to be condemned, they are hardly unthinkable in light of the issues involving marriage and the womans role throughout history. The story itself presents a valid argument in favor of Louise as she is portrayed as the oppressed wife finally set free after her husbands death. In the beginning of The Story of an Hour, Mrs. Mallard is just a typical wife. It is not until she†¦show more content†¦This newfound freedom is in effect a new motivation for Louise. Before experiencing such freedom, Louise was petrified of the thought of life being long; now however, she felt herself wishing, even praying for life to be long. This is evidenced with the following quote, She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long. (15). This depicts an ever embracing Louise, finally liberated of the powerful institution of marriage. What is more, this quote serves to further support the idea that Louise indeed felt trapped, she was unhappy and yet, the thought of her husband dying hadnt crossed her mind, only the relief from her own passing was her wish. Moreover, The Story of an Hour, shows that Louise felt her husbands domination through the powerful will bending her (14), later she is in this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being. (15). This last statement indicates this newborn contention in Louise, made only possible by Mr. Mallards death. In Mr. Mallards death, Louise finds herself being able to assert herself in unimaginable ways; Mrs. Mallard is no longer limited to the confines of her marriage. Ultimately, all of this new brazenness and freedom is dependent on Mr. Mallards death, thus one would not have occurred without the other. The fact that Louise on her own indicates the bending of her will to her husbandsShow MoreRelatedKate Chopin, An American Writer1425 Words   |  6 PagesKate Chopin, an American writer, known for her vivid portrayals of women’s lives during the late 1800s. Her fiction works usually set in Louisiana, which contributed too much of her description of women’s roles. During Chopin’s time, Louisiana was in the midst of reconstruction and was having racial and economic issues. (Skaggs 4) Louisiana is the setting for many of Chopin’s stories, and they depict a realistic picture of Louisiana society. Kate Chopin published two novels and many short storiesRead 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 MoreEssay about Kate Chopin Short Stories1663 Words   |  7 PagesKate Chopin was an American feminist fiction writer and a woman ahead of her time. She lived in the socially conservative nineteenth-century, but in her stories, she wrote about unconventional characters, particularly women, that caused others to question her morality. Similar to the female characters in her stories, Kate Chopin was an independent woman. She would often smoke cigarettes or walk in the streets unaccompanied; these practices were considered unusual for a nineteenth-century woman toRead MoreLi terary Criticism of Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour1338 Words   |  5 PagesLiterary Criticism and the Story of an Hour Literary criticism gives the reader the tools to see literature in new ways. Each type focuses on different components of the story and asks the reader to examine a given text for ques. When an analysis is performed in a given critical style, a whole new perspective of the text becomes available. Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour is an account of a marriage in the late 19th century. Mrs. Louise Mallard is identified by her marriage and she allows herselfRead 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 exp lores female identity in a patriarchal society. For women of her time, marriage could beRead MoreThe Story Of The Hour Identity Essay1050 Words   |  5 PagesWoman with Identity Issues in The story of the Hour As the title suggests â€Å"The story of the hour† is a story written by Kate Chopin which happens in an hour span of a woman. The story revolves around an ill young woman named Louis Mallard whose husband was involved in a tragic train accident. The author developed many themes around the incidents that happen in that one hour, which are very differently interpreted than the usual norm for the times when this story was written. The themes of life, deathRead MoreWomen s Marital Oppression By Kate Chopin976 Words   |  4 PagesDismembering Untypical Cases: Women’s Marital Oppression â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is a short story in which the author, Kate Chopin, presents an interesting view on women s feeling in marriages. Louise Mallard is the main character of the story and rather than mourn her husband’s death, she fills with a confuzed joy as she feels freedom from her boring life. Once she finds out that her husband, Mr Brently, is still living, Mrs. Mallard’s heart explodes and she dies from sadness.While the idea thatRead MoreEssay A Silent Curse1012 Words   |  5 Pagesdominance is evident through the treatment and lack of affection given to the women of the house. Aunt Jennifers Tigers, a poem, by Adrienne Rich and Kate Chopins short story, The Story of an Hour, equally capture the underlying meaning of matrimony. Both literary works have similar themes portraying a womans struggle with oppression, marital burdens and the secret want for freedom. As the poem by Rich opens, Aunt Jennifer is creating a beautiful work of needlepoint. It is through theRead MoreThe Story of an Hour1203 Words   |  5 PagesFebruary 23, 2012 Part One: Alternate ending to â€Å"The Story of an Hour† â€Å"Someone was opening the front door with a latchkey, it was Brently Mallard who entered, a little travel stained, composedly carrying his grip-sack and umbrella. He had been far from the scene of the accident, and did not even know there had been one. He stood amazed at Josephine s piercing cry; at Richards quick motion to screen him from the view of his wife† (Chopin, 16). Josephine rushed to the door looked at Mr. MallardRead MoreKate Chopin s The Hour1361 Words   |  6 Pagesanalyzed â€Å"The Story of the Hour† has been whether or not Mrs. Mallard was oppressed in her marriage or if she was depressed due to the lack of time she and her husband spent together. Time plays a crucial role in the story, from the time they have spent together, to the period of the story, and to the short time in which the story takes place. â€Å"The Story of the Hour,† is a story written by feminist author, Kate Chopin in 1894 that deals with marital instability from a wo man’s perspective. Chopin, whose