Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Themes in the story of an hour
What type of literary theory is in the story of an hour
Themes in story of an hour
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
In the ironic plot twist of a conclusion, “The Storm” by Kate Chopin and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson demonstrates a similar case in terms of situational irony by concluding the story with an unusual reaction after partaking in a behavior that does not conform to generally accepted standards of the behavior of a “normal” society. Within the setting of “The Lottery” as part of their “normal” society by which some of the other towns have already ceased, the drawing of the lottery. One town in particular however continues to gather in the square to conduct the deep-rooted, ghastly tradition, which has always been a tradition they do not dare to question or change in the slightest including the box used for holding the name of the villagers despite its timeworn appearance. “Mr. Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box.
Situational irony occurs when the final outcome of a story is contradictory to what is expected. Authors often use situational irony to target the emotions of their reader. O. Henry the author of “The Ransom of Red Chief” and Guy de Maupassant the author of “The Necklace” use situational irony to affect different emotions of their readers. O. Henry uses it to target the reader’s humorous side. Whereas Guy de Maupassant uses it to target the reader’s sympathetic side.
Irony is defined as the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite. In the short story, “The Story of an Hour,” there are several examples of irony. In fact, the title itself is ironic in that so many unexpected accounts happen in the life of Louise Mallard in the small amount of sixty minutes. Irony usually contains an incongruity. Therefore, the most conspicuous example of situational irony is in when Bently Mallard was believed to be dead and Louise Mallard had come alive with life.
"The Story of an Hour": Rhetorical Appeals "The Story of an Hour" is a rather sad and short essay, but is filled with description and the main rhetorical appeals. Such as logic, credibility, and emotion; the writer Kate Chopin does an excellent job at displaying these. Therefore aiding her in expressing what it is like to be a wife and the struggles of marriage in the late 1800 's. She also expresses that you can never really know the truth unless you really look, and it took the death of her husband to realize that she was unhappy in her marriage.
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.
Kate Chopin was an American writer from St. Louis, Missouri, who was best known for her short stories about the inner lives of sensitive women. Chopin is the author of “The Story of an Hour,” which is about a lady who is grieving the loss of her husband. Over the course of an hour, she experiences different thoughts, feelings, and ultimately realizes her new found freedom. In “The Story of an Hour,” Chopin uses symbolism with the room, the bedroom door, and the blue sky to represent Mrs. Mallard’s newfound freedom. Kate Chopin uses the symbolism of Mrs. Mallard’s room to show readers her way of escaping and feeling free.
In Kate Chopin short story, “The Story of an Hour,” she explain how marriage can be obligation. In “The Story of An Hour,” Kate Chopin uses irony and imagery to demonstrate how Mrs. Mallard views your marriage. Chopin demonstrates Mrs. Mallard and her husband relationship with negative connation. When Mrs. Mallard hears about Brent’s death, she becomes “paralyzed” with grief (1). Chopin uses paralyzed to show Mrs. Mallard is powerless.
Situational Irony is a very important element in literature and can be found in many famous literary works including Ray Bradbury’s There Will Come Soft Rains. Situational Irony adds drama to the story and engages the reader. There are three specific examples of situational irony in There Will Come Soft Rains: The house continues to perform its daily tasks even though no one lives there, the house is destroyed by a tree branch that starts a fire yet it survived a nuclear fallout, and Mrs. McClellan’s favorite poem describes the situation in the story. The first example of situational irony can be seen in the fact that the house continues to do its everyday tasks even though all of the humans that used to live there are dead.
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.
The Contrast of The Story of an Hour While Mrs. Mallard is just starting a new life, so to say, for herself, her life she has known comes to an end. She is just able to become “free, free, free!” (57) when she loses her life. Kate Chopin uses contrast with the news Richard’s gave, the way Mrs. Mallard felt in the room and the doctor’s news to show how women perceived marriage in the 19th century in her story The Story of an Hour.
One example is when Mrs. Mallard says, “free, free, free!” (Chopin). The reader would expect Mrs. Mallard to be upset at the loss of her husband, but in fact, she is actually feeling relief from it. Mrs. Mallard is happy because she is now free from living under her husband. Another example of Kate Chopin’s usage of irony is at the end when its said, “ they said she died of heart disease- of joy that kills” in a since they are right.
The Short Story The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin explores the emotions of Louise Mallard a woman with a heart disease. In the hour that the story is told, it ranges from showing Mrs. Mallard different reactions to learning of her husbands death to him surprisingly showing up alive and eventually her untimely death from a heart disease. Although only a brief period of time is shown, many emotions are revealed through the third person omniscient point of view. This point of view shows more than just the protagonists thoughts and is not limited to one person. It allows the readers to know something about Mrs. Mallard that she does not as the story ends after Mrs. Mallard has already died.
Self-Identity and Freedom The story of an hour by Kate Chopin introduces us to Mrs. Mallard as she reacts to her husband’s death. In this short story, Chopin portrays the complexity of Mrs. Mallard’s emotions as she is saddened yet joyful of her loss. Kate Chopin’s story argues that an individual discovers their self-identity only after being freed from confinement.
The story of an Hour Critical Analysis through a Psychological Perspective using both Freud and Lacan’s theory approach. In the beginning of the story, the Chopin informs the audience of Mrs. Mallard serious heart condition. Her friends and family were worried how to break the news to her of her husband’s death. After giving it much thought Mrs. Mallard was given the news as gently as possible of her husband’s death.
Chopin clearly states that women felt that they lost their freedom and that they were just mere prisoners of marriage. Mrs. Mallard’s tragedy is a good example to understand that women were unhappy and depressed, since society forced them to play a secondary role, where happiness and independence cannot be achieved. Kate Chopin, in reality, lost her husband, and perhaps she wrote ‘The Story of an Hour’ to tell that she could not find freedom with her husband’s death, and that the character’s fate was the only possible way to find it, not only for herself but for most women as