ipl-logo

Story Of An Hour Rhetorical Analysis Essay

843 Words4 Pages

The Story of An Hour Marriage is seen as a partnership where wives and husbands are seen as equal; however, in the 19th century, women were bound to their marriage. What happens when they get a taste of freedom? Louise Mallard is in a traditional marriage when she receives the news of her husband’s passing and begins the process of grief and a new sense of freedom. In Chopin’s story, “The Story of An Hour”, Chopin uses imagery, repetition, and irony to portray Mrs. Mallard’s journey of discovering freedom after her husband’s death. Using the five senses to create a vivid image, the imagery device is present to portray the surroundings of Mrs. Mallard and how they contribute to her journey of freedom. In paragraphs 5 and 6, Chopin uses imagery to describe the outside surroundings of …show more content…

Mallard values the freedom that has been given to her. The word “free” is one of the words that is outspoken and recurrent to emphasize the emotions that Mrs. Mallard experiences. Another repetition is in paragraph 14 to emphasize the emotion of freedom as Mrs. Mallard’s life begins to begin, “Free! Body and soul free!” (Chopin 1894, paragraph 14). The use of repetition emphasizes the view that Mrs. Mallard sees her life as starting to begin, as the whispering of the word “free” signals the new journey. In addition to the devices of imagery and repetition being present in the story, irony plays a role as situational irony. In the last two paragraphs, Chopin uses situational irony to reveal that Mr. Mallard is alive all long, “It was Brently Mallard who entered, a little travel-stained, carrying his grip-sack and umbrella. He had been far from the scene of the accident, and did not even know there had been one. He stood amazed at Josephine's piercing cry; at Richards' quick motion to screen him from the view of his wife. When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease—of the joy that kills.” (Chopin 1894, paragraph

Show More
Related
221 Words | 1 Pages

As these words escaped her lips she felt freedom; this allowed her to finally relax. The repetition of the word free manifests the feeling of freedom. She recognized, And, yet I loved him—sometimes. (15).

Read More
899 Words | 4 Pages

This revelation is profoundly ironic, as it subverts conventional expectations of mourning and highlights the complexities of marriage. One article argues that Chopin's use of irony challenges traditional gender roles, particularly women's emotional dependence on their husbands (Ahmetspahi and Damir 26). Through Mrs. Mallard's sudden shift from grief to exhilaration, Chopin critiques the societal norms restricting women within marriage. This irony accelerates Mrs. Mallard's burgeoning sense of self-awareness and liberation. Secondly, symbolism permeates Chopin's narrative, enriching the text with deeper layers of meaning and significance.

Read More
602 Words | 3 Pages

There are many throughout this story but I will only be talking about three of them. In paragraph 11 it states, “She said it over and over under her breathe: ‘free, free, free!’” (Chopin “The Story”). This was situational Irony because it is something that she did that you wouldn’t expect. One of the questions I asked myself while reading this sentence in this story is, “Why would she feel free if her husband just died?”

Read More
134 Words | 1 Pages

At the opening of Chopin’s story, the reader is presented with an unremarkable protagonist, whose characteristics — outside of her heart trouble — are left unclear. Instead, the passage focuses on the event surrounding her, her husband’s death. While atypical, this choice is highly symbolic, demonstrating how Mrs. Mallard’s life revolves around her husband — even in death. Correspondingly, it draws attention to the lack of identity of 19th century women, who serve moreso as extensions of their husbands than people in their own right. The protagonist’s bland personality is further highlighted by her stereotypical reaction to her husband’s death, as she devolves into a “storm of grief” (Chopin 3).

Read More
666 Words | 3 Pages

The use of imagery throughout the story creates this idea of a woman grieving over her husband's death. On page 15 in the third paragraph it states, “she wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister's arms.” (Chopin 15).This leads the reader to believe she was overwhelmed by grief. The author uses word such as

Read More
1020 Words | 5 Pages

While reading the story, it was clear that Mrs. Mallard was happy for the beginning of her new life and the start of freedom. Chopin uses descriptive diction throughout the story, such as irony, symbol,

Read More
928 Words | 4 Pages

Mallard has heart trouble. I take that as another symbol that help explains the theme. In the very beginning of the story Chopin tells the readers that Mrs. Mallard has a heart condition and precaution was taken in telling her that Mr. Mallard was killed; “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” (38). Later in the story, after Mrs. Mallard had figured out she was free, Chopin tells the readers that, “Her pulse beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body” (39). Even though she had just gotten news of her husband’s death, her heart trouble did not stop her from knowing she has a whole different life waiting for her.

Read More
898 Words | 4 Pages

Because of how excited Mrs. Mallard is, t is easy for the reader to feel the enormous weight of disappoint fall upon her upon seeing her husband. This excellent character development by Chopin creates a great ending. The second theme that is evident through the voice of the character is irony. In one section of the story, Mrs. Mallard declares that even though she loved her husband, she will only mourn his loss in public at his funeral for the sake of her image. It is this total lack of remorse for the loss of life that makes it so ironic that her husband will be the one mourning her death at the funeral

Read More
906 Words | 4 Pages

Kate Chopin implements three types of irony: situational, dramatic, and verbal. Kate Chopin’s ability to successful use irony causes the story to have many unexpected twists and turns while the story progress. Mrs. Mallard reaction to her husband death represents the situational irony presented in this story. When Mrs. Mallard first heard about the death of her husband, Brently Mallard, she was startled. The passage states that “she went at once, with sudden, wild

Read More
913 Words | 4 Pages

Mrs. Mallard goes to her room, and looks out into the patchy blue sky. Chopin uses the patchy blue sky to create an image of darkness clearing out of Mrs. Mallard’s life. When reading the story, a sense of relief comes to mind as Mrs. Mallard thinks of her life ahead without Mr. Mallard. This is when Mrs. Mallard’s character finally starts thinking for herself. She no longer has Mr. Mallard to hold her back.

Read More
828 Words | 4 Pages

Mallard reaches a sense of exuberant liberation. She is overwhelmed with feelings of a newfound freedom. Chopin illustrates this burst of hope once again through nature imagery when she writes, “But she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air”(Chopin 237). Though Mrs. Mallard tries, she cannot fight the growing sense of freedom that overtakes her. Chopin writes this change as a powerful realization that Mrs. Mallard cannot help but accept.

Read More
938 Words | 4 Pages

In the story “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin demonstrates the role of marriage in defining the individual by contrasting and highlighting the value individuals place on the marriage and love that they consider theirs. "The Story of an Hour" is a short story the author,Kate Chopin, presents a dreadful often unheard of view of marriage. Chopin 's main character, Mrs. Louise Mallard, experiences the happiness of freedom rather than the desolation of loneliness after she learns of her husband 's death. Later

Read More
558 Words | 3 Pages

Mrs.Mallard’s receives the news of the death of her husband in the beginning of the story and Mrs.Mallard says ”she could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. ”The play on words manifests Mrs. Mallard’s inner feelings, ready to start a new life without her husband. Additionally, Mrs.Mallard doesn’t seem as emotionally unstable as most would feel right after their husband had just passed away. Furthermore, Mrs. Mallard says, “Free! Body and soul free!

Read More
881 Words | 4 Pages

In serious literary works of fiction, or as it is also called non-formula fiction, the storyline is unpredictable. This unpredictability makes readers question certain aspects of society because the results or conclusion of the story is not what is widely accepted or expected to happen. The theme or moral of the story is not stated outright and the reader must discern the theme for themselves. In the short story, The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, the theme is that marriage, even to a good man, in some form limits, restricts, and suffocates women’s lives. The theme is made evident when considering the background of the author as well as the wording used in the story.

Read More
866 Words | 4 Pages

In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” readers are dropped into a deep conflict. A man must tell a woman that her husband is dead. In the beginning there is a subtle hint at the ironic twist ending, but the story goes on cooly in spite of it. Readers start to feel connected to Mrs. Mallard and begins to pity her situation, all because of irony. The effect of irony in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” enhances the protagonist’s situation, it introduces the effect of the foreshadowing, and indirectly characterizes the protagonist.

Read More

More about Story Of An Hour Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Open Document