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Comparing Story Of An Hour And William Faulkner's A Rose For Emily

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Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" and William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" both take place in an era where men are dominant and women are repressed. Women are expected to be married in their middle ages and spend the rest of their lives cooking, cleaning, and taking care of their husbands. In “A Rose for Emily”, the narrator conveys that the town was not pleased with Emily because she had turned thirty and still wasn’t married. The female protagonists in both the stories are deeply affected by the male-dominant societies. Each woman yearns for freedom in a different way and both stories, using literary elements such as irony, and symbolism, bring the reader to unexpected and ironic conclusions. The theme of Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”, is freedom, independence, and happiness. Most of the symbolism used in the story is to emphasize the freedom that Mrs. Mallard has …show more content…

This quote symbolizes the beginning of a new life for Louis since her husband is no longer alive to tell her what to do. The open window in the room is also symbolically important as it suggests a new found sense of freedom for Louis. Along with symbolism, there is also a great amount of irony presented in the story. After the news of Mr. Mallard’s death, Josephine is worried about her sister thinking that she might make herself sick when Louis is, in fact, happy knowing that she is now free from her marriage. “It was the joy that killed her,” they said, but it is evident to the reader how untrue that is (Chopin, 79). Through her thoughts, it is known she was happy for just that hour, that she thought her husband was dead. After seeing Mr. Mallard step in through the front door, Louis was terrified, and it was not the “joy” that killed but the shock of seeing her husband alive (Chopin,

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1275 Words | 6 Pages

At the end of the story Mallard dies, that is considered a situational irony, because the reader doesn't expect the death of Mrs. Mallard. Another irony from the story is the fact that the reader doesn't expect the feeling of excitement and joy from Mrs. Mallard's part of knowing from the death of her husband. An example of situational irony in the story is that Mrs. Mallard is “alive” “Brently Mallard is dead and Mrs. Mallard has fully become alive”. The message of Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" is about a woman's desire for freedom from marriage and thematically argues that oppression can ultimately be a killer. This message and situational irony emphazise that the rold of women in the 1800 during the time period of this story was that women had to stay at home, be housewives, do the laundry, and cook while men went out and worked to obtain money for their family.

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195 Words | 1 Pages

The universal fact of feminism is “the struggle to end sexist oppression” (hooks) in all forms. The time period in which Kate Chopin wrote “Story of an Hour”was during the same time the Women’s Rights Movement (1840 - 1920) was happening. During this time, women were paving a way towards a more independent future, so that they may make their own choices and be treated as equals. Chopin uses symbolism to showcase how an open window can express freedom and self-discovery within a woman.

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1379 Words | 6 Pages

Rather than directly addressing the liberation of slavery. Kate Chopin's short narrative story “The Story Of An Hour” primarily examines themes of freedom, self-discovery, and the limitations of marriage. On the other hand, there are some occasions where drawing parallels can be helpful. After learning of her husband's passing, the main character, Louise Mallard, feels liberated because she can now finally live her life without being bound by the rules of

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1004 Words | 5 Pages

Mallard, and the girlfriend want to communicate how they feel and do not want to be constrained. Chopin was a feminist which encouraged her to write The Story of an Hour. Women do not want to feel possessed and want to be self-asserted (Chopin, 2004). Women are told to respect their marriages and must abide to society. Mrs. Mallard feels free of duties when she understands that her husband has deceased.

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755 Words | 4 Pages

“The Story of an Hour” is written by Kate Chopin. The main character in this story is Louise Mallard, a married woman in the 19th century who has a heart defect, she receives news that her husband died in an accident. After hearing the news of her husband she goes into solitude into her room where she finds herself not has sad about her husband but feeling some relief that she can live her own life and gains a new sense of freedom that she will have in the later days to come. This is where the theme of freedom comes in, this is seen using many literary elements throughout the story some of these would be foreshadowing, irony, and symbols to show Mrs. Mallard new- found freedom from her “late” husband.

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872 Words | 4 Pages

This essay endeavors to analyse the situation of two different women. “The Story of an Hour” and “A Rose for Emily.” The first story by Kale Chopin’s in the 19th Century penned by Mrs. Mallard who confirm her about her husband death which made her heart broken. But at the same time she thought she could be free and enjoy her life because in the old time Women was under the mercy of her husband and must obey him which affect their life. “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulker with the breaking news of her father death feeling depressed and unable to do anything.

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584 Words | 3 Pages

“The Story Of An Hour” by Kate Chopin and “A Rose For Emily” by William Faulkner share some alikeness regarding the characters,plot and difference in dealing with sorrow, willingness to change “The Story Of An Hour” written by Kate Chopin this short story is about the life of a railroad worker’s wife named Louise Mallard. She has a heart condition and learned about the her husband’s death. She spends most of the story thinking about all the years she spend with her husband. Ultimately she dies of a heart attack seeing her husband alive.

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1028 Words | 5 Pages

In Chopin’s story, she writes about a woman named Louise that received some horrific news about her husband (Brently Mallard) getting into an accident at a railroad disaster, but he never was killed during the incident. Louise Mallard, a heart-troubled woman, is trying to figure out how to cope with the loss of her husband.1 Unlike how many other couples in the present would react, Louise was in a state of happiness when she received the information of the incident, which had later caused her to die. While Louise also did have her moment of grief from the loss of Brently, there are many reasons why she could’ve felt the means to happy after her losing her husband.

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898 Words | 4 Pages

“The Story of an Hour” is a great short story written by Kate Chopin in 1894. This story is full of ups, downs, and surprises that keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Chopin begins the story by introducing the main character Mrs. Mallard, who upon learning that her husband has been killed in a tragic railroad accident does not respond the way the reader anticipates. Instead of trying to process what has happened, or even denying it, Mrs. Mallard immediately begins crying hysterically. After a few minutes she decides that she needs to be alone.

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1096 Words | 5 Pages

Every person has the right to be and feel free. They have the right to be independent and live happily. Kate Chopin’s, “The Story of an Hour,” focuses on sixty minutes in the life of a young Mrs. Mallard. Upon learning of her husband’s death, Mrs. Mallard experiences a revelation about her future without a husband. Her life, due to heart problems, suddenly ends after she unexpectedly finds out her husband is actually alive.

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913 Words | 4 Pages

Chopin also describes Mrs. Mallard as “young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength”. At the beginning Mrs. Mallard is thought of as being controlled, and weak. In the 19th Century, when this story was written, husbands controlled their wives. Perhaps Mrs. Mallard wasn’t like most women of her time. After she hears of her husband’s death she morns for what feels like only a moment.

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727 Words | 3 Pages

Growing up as a woman has been quite difficult in this generation, however, growing up around thirty years ago must have been more difficult. Back in the 1900’s, women had different social norms to deal with in society. Women had to stay at home, be housewives, do the laundry, and cook while men went out and worked to obtain money for their family. In Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, she tells the struggles that women went through back in the 1990 's and the social norms that women had to go through. Chopin addresses many instances of symbolism to portray the feeling Mrs. Mallard has about her own thoughts and experiences with or without a man in her life.

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828 Words | 4 Pages

Louise’s victory in accepting her husband’s death is a feeling that she now cannot live without. The ultimate death of Louise Mallard is one that represents physical and emotional defeat. In this dramatic short story, Chopin uses imagery to sew together a tapestry of emotions all encompassed in an ill-stricken widow. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.”

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1239 Words | 5 Pages

However, as the reader continues, Mrs. Mallard actions take a turn, which would surprise a reader. She only grieves for a little while before she goes to her room—alone. There, Chopin hints at the truth behind Mrs. Mallards marriage. While most new widows, in that

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1346 Words | 6 Pages

(Chopin, the Story of an Hour)” It would be prudent to believe by the way Mrs. Mallard was crying that indeed she was devastated about her husband’s tragic death.

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