ipl-logo

Living Up To Societal Expectations Essay

893 Words4 Pages

Cheyenne Battle Mrs. Gore English III 3 May 2023 Living Up To Societal Expectations Can Be Harmful Living up to societal expectations can kill, both psychologically and physically. The main thing that societal standards may kill is happiness. The authors of “ We wear the mask” and “ The story of an hour” include living up to societal expectations in their stories that take a closer look to catch. Dunbar writes on the emotions of former slaves living up to expectations of the slave owners and white society; Chopin discusses the expectations of women in the 1800s. Similar to these stories about how societal standards destroyed the happiness of the individuals, in the story “ Richard Cory” by Edwin Robinson, his society actually killed him. …show more content…

Society back then expected former slaves to show no other emotion besides happiness. “ We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,This debt we pay to human guile”(Dunbar 654) . This means that former slaves wore masks that pleased the white society, they were unhappy but deceiving to others. If former slaves showed any other emotion they were punished, punished by being burned or lynched, which were left unsolved. “ We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries, To thee from tortured souls arise ''(Dunbar 654). Dunbar uses another diction choice, to say that although they may look happy, they are actually suffering from the cruelty and unkindness they experienced as slaves. Dunbar explains in a poem about how former slaves were suffering from living up to the expectations of society by wearing a mask that hid their true …show more content…

In the short story by Kate Chopin she uses irony which shows the expectations men had of women in the 1800s. Society back then expected women to be happy and okay with living their lives under their husbands. Most women did not like this, but some were okay with it. In the 1800s women could not have jobs, vote, or own property, and if they did own property, it belonged to their husbands’ (Women’s Roles and Rights in the 1800s). In this story, Mrs Mallard, a woman with heart issues, learned that her husband had passed away. After hearing this information, Mrs. Mallard spent some time alone in her room, soaking up the feeling of finally being set free from him. Instead of crying she was happy at the chance of a new start (Chopin 644-645). It appeared to her sister and Richard that she was upset about her husband’s death but ironically she was happy. She finally had the chance to be free from her husband as well as the expectations of society in the 1800s. She felt free for only an hour, until her supposedly deceased husband returned home, Mrs Mallard passed away from a heart attack. She did not die because she was happy to see her husband, she died because her heart could not handle knowing her freedom had only lasted her an hour (Chopin 646). Chopin explains ironically in this short story about how women suffered the standards men set for women in the

Show More
Related
1218 Words | 5 Pages

In Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem, “We Wear the Mask” the speaker wears a mask to hide his internal suffering because he does not want the rest of the world to think he is weak. This poem relates the prejudice black people face against white people. The speaker starts the poem with the lines, “We wear the mask that grins and lies,” (1). Here he describes the kind of “masks” that he wears.

Read More
212 Words | 1 Pages

In “We Wear the Masks,” Dunbar displays the oppression and pressure that the black community faced in the late 19th century. With remaining unjust laws and unforgetting former slaves, Dunbar evaluates the saddened and fake expression that his community faced. His title indicates that the newly freed black population in America could not truly be themselves but had to wear a “mask” that made them acceptable to the white population. Dunbar unites his community by projecting them as a whole encountering a new form slavery together. The poem aims to express how the black population was forced to hide their continued suffering in order to not endanger their newly gained freedom.

Read More
666 Words | 3 Pages

This demonstrates how slaves were suffering for others deception. From this we can infer that people were being deceived into thinking that treating someone else harshly because of their skin color was okay and normal. The tone of frustration is shown in line

Read More
646 Words | 3 Pages

An explanation to this is slaves were very sad and mad people, they got taken away from their families just to work for the rest of their life, I wouldn't be happy either. In conclusion of this paragraph slaves had it hard as well as the

Read More
736 Words | 3 Pages

In “The Story of an Hour”, Mrs. Mallard says she will be sad for her because of her husband’s funeral, “but she saw beyond hat bitter moment” (Chopin). She looked to the future and said that “there would be no one to live for… [but] she would live for herself” (Chopin). She looks forward to this idea.

Read More
1102 Words | 5 Pages

They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.” It became evident to readers that a huge weight of stress was lifted from Mrs. Mallard’s body; therefore, it was like she could breathe freely without her husband. For her to be delighted when their husband dies validates the way she set her morals. A time period like this, many men controlled their wives for their own good.

Read More
940 Words | 4 Pages

In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” demonstrates the personal growth of the dynamic protagonist Louise Mallard, after hearing news of her husband’s death. The third-person narrator telling the story uses deep insight into Mrs. Mallard’s thoughts and emotions as she sorts through her feelings after her sister informs her of her husband’s death. During a Character analysis of Louise Mallard, a reader will understand that the delicate Mrs. Mallard transforms her grief into excitement over her newly discovered freedom that leads to her death. As Mrs. Mallard sorts through her grief she realizes the importance of this freedom and the strength that she will be able to do it alone.

Read More
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.

Read More
717 Words | 3 Pages

The speaker wants to feel the uprising of her sad people's souls that is covered by all the hate and discrimination in her society. The speaker states, “I want to feel the surging/ Of my sad people’s soul/ Hidden by a minstrel-smile.” (Bennett). The African American community had to deal with many forms of racism and discrimination in the 1920’s due to Jim Crow laws and slavery, and often lived a life full of segregation due to White people's prejudice. The words “minstrel-smile” represent a form of racism known as black face.

Read More
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.

Read More
828 Words | 4 Pages

Hour of Freedom “The Story of an Hour” is a short story written by Kate Chopin. It details a wife named Mrs. Louise Mallard, who struggles with a heart condition. After learning of her husband, Brentley Mallard’s death in a railroad accident, Mrs. Mallard deals with grief in many stages. Chopin incorporates many literary devices throughout “The Story of an Hour,” but imagery is the most evident.

Read More
791 Words | 4 Pages

This shows a balance between gender roles, as well as the embracing progressive changes within culture and society. In the story “The Story of an Hour,” by Kate Chopin, a third-person omniscient narrator, relates how Mrs. Louise Mallard, the protagonist, experiences the euphoria of freedom rather than the grief of loneliness after hearing about her husband’s death. Later, when Mrs. Mallard discovers that her husband, Mr. Brently Mallard, still lives, she realizes that all her aspiration for freedom has gone. The shock and disappointment kills Mrs. Mallard.

Read More
897 Words | 4 Pages

Kate Chopin wrote a story about Mrs. Mallard, a married woman who suffers from heart problems and also has to cope with her husband recent passing. Mrs.Mallard, she showed sincere grief about her husband passing. However, looking back at how controlling her husband Mr.Mallard were in their marriage, Mrs.Mallard felt a sudden joy when processing her husband death After her sudden emotional change, Mrs Mallard felt liberated when she started thinking about what her life would be like without Mr.Mallard, but regardless of the happiness she feels, she knows that once she sees her husband in corpse that sadness will return. Through her writing, author Chopin readers/ audience would be women who feel trapped and controlled in their marriage. Anger, loneliness and heartbroken are feelings that women who're coping with the death of their loved one feel.

Read More
953 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
770 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More

More about Living Up To Societal Expectations Essay

Related Topics

Open Document