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.
Although Mrs. Mallard was in a situation of grief, she quickly realizes that losing her husband was a change of freedom “She said it over and over under her breath: ‘free, free, and free!” (Para 11 Line 5) Louise Mallard feel that she has control of her
Antisocial Edna While being social and part of a community is incorporated in humanity, it is also enjoyable to spend some alone time away from distractions and reflect. This characteristic can be seen in The Awakening with the main protagonist Edna who gravitates toward privacy. Edna longs to be an independent, strong woman and associates this belief with being alone and on her own. Edna is often involved in activities with others where she chooses to seclude herself from the group. Kate Chopin accentuates this aspect of Edna through her actions, but especially through her relations with Robert.
This can be seen when she fees free in a confined room, or how her weak heart sets her free from her husband through death. The author also sets up a subtle melancholy tone to the story that leaves the reader thinking and analyzing the sad events that occurred in the hour. She also use her tone to point out the cruelty idea of marriage at the time and how Mrs. Mallard thought it was a crime which left her powerless because she was a woman. Throughout this short story symbolism is quite clear. For example, when Mrs. Mallard is characterized with heart trouble.
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
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.
Martin Luther had a major impact on Church life in Europe in the Sixteenth Century. Martin had a problem with the Roman Catholic Church. He questioned the Catholic Church’s right to sell people on the idea that indulgences should be bought and sold. He ceased the seemingly endless power of the Catholic Church. He touched the lives of many individuals throughout his sixty-two year life.
In the short story “Story of the Hour” by Kate Chopin it talks about a wife by the name of Mrs. Louise Mallard who is married to Mr. Brently Mallard and didn’t have a great life. Although the story didn’t state that her life wasn’t great it through little hints like; “Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble… (128).” Chopin’s “Story of the Hour” opens up with the death of Mr. Mallard from a fatal train wreck, although the ending revels otherwise. Chopin’s short story discuss the situation of marriage and also women freedom. Being married involves two individuals who have to compromise and respect one another.
In Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour” the setting of the story is very symbolic. Chopin sets up for the story and its setting by saying, “Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.” (205). Chopin immediately portrays Mrs. Mallard as how most women were typically seen in this time period, weak and dependent on their husbands. This also tells us that Mrs. Mallard most likely never leaves her home.
Not only were they expected to reside in the home but women were also tied down through marriage with the expectation of blindly following their husband without challenging their authority. Kate Chopin’s short story, “Story of an Hour”, uncovers the chilling truth of how women were perceived to have longed and enjoyed marriage during the 18th and 19th century when in actuality many felt confined, trapped and imprisoned due to what society and men wanted them to do. The story reveals that the impending pressures of having to become a good wife and mother along with patriarchal societal oppression oftentimes pressures a woman into experiencing a psychological breakdown that can result in fatal consequences. Chopin begins the story with the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard, being told
Through her husband’s death, Louise Mallard saw a new life for herself and freedom from her body and spirit. Even though it doesn’t show how Mr. Mallard oppressed Louise, there are hints throughout the story that suggests how they both oppressed each other. The author used death to symbolize freedom and happiness instead of fear, grief or sorrow. After hearing the news about her husband, Mrs. Mallard went to her room and we can see how the atmosphere of the story changes by reflecting how Louise is feeling as soon as she enters the room. For example, “She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life.
Mrs. Mallard’s actions cause the readers to contemplate a hidden meaning woven into the story line. Mr. Mallard is assumed to die in a railroad accident, leaving Mrs. Mallard devastated. Instead of feeling sadness or grief, Mrs. Mallard actually feels free. "There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature" (Page 499).
In the article, “The Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin an American writer states, “She did not stop to ask if it were not a monstrous joy that held her” (Chopin 517). Implying that she felt the joy of grasping her freedom. This particular statement interests me the most since I know the moment of feeling free. To clarify, having permission was a huge deal for my parents, until the end of high school. Realizing how much I matured, they let me express my freedom without restrictions, resulting me to be free as Mrs. Mallard.
Mallard, one can conclude that she suffers defeat by being the lesser of her marriage. After years of being an accessory to her husband, Mrs. Mallard could not help but to feel completely taken with pleasure at the thought of her husband’s supposed death. In her mind, her husband’s death meant that she would finally be open to the world, that she could now live her life in whichever way she dreams. This new-found feeling of freedom caused her to act in ways she would never consider around her husband. She locks herself into her room to collect her exuberant thoughts and to confirm it to herself that she no longer must live according to her condescending
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
