Problems in Marriage in “The Story of an Hour” and “The Kiss”
In “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin reports that marriage is the first punishment for women in 1894, and Mrs. Mallard has feelings for her husband. In “The Kiss,” Chopin describes that Miss Nathalie has no passion in love. Relationships will last if there is true love between each other. The two stories are about women trapped in unhappy marriages. Mrs. Mallard and Nathalie have marriage problems, but they feel freedom for a moment, but no emotional attachment in relationships.
In “the Story of an Hour,” Mrs. Mallard feels a sense of freedom when she hears her husband is died in a disaster. She is so excited about her new life because she does not have to feel loneliness. Chopin writes that, “There was a feverish triumph in her eyes, and she carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of victory” (464). She is satisfied with her life, and she feels like a free bird because she loves her husband sometimes, but often she does not. Mrs. Mallard freedom is does not last long because her husband’s suddenly arrives home alive, and at that time she feels pain. Mrs.
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Harvy is the guest at Brantain’s and Nathalie’s wedding. Chopin reports, “Your husband,” he said, smiling, “has sent me over to kiss you” (187). She does not get angry with Harvy because she has an emotional relationship with him. She has freedom to choose true love, but instead she wants Brantain’s money. According to Chopin, we see the image of a miserable marriage: “Well, she had Brantain and his million left, but a person can’t have everything in this world; and it was a little unreasonable of her to expect it” (187). Nathalie lost an important part of her life which is the passion of a kiss. She does not have an emotional attachment with Brantain, and she is trapped in a miserable marriage for her entire