Thursday, January 9, 2020
The Importance of Freedom in Chopinââ¬â¢s ââ¬ÅThe Story of an Hourââ¬Â
Kate Chopinââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠grabs its readers from the start and creates an unexpected twist at the end of the short story. Louise Mallard is given the news that her husband has died in a terrible train accident. To her surprise, he arrives home and ââ¬Å"did not even know there had been oneâ⬠(Chopin, 607). Upon the death of Louise who once believes she was a widow only to find that her husband is still alive, the confusion begins. The death of Louise is questioned by many critics as a state of shock, depression, and sadness. However, Mark Cunninghamââ¬â¢s criticism of Kate Chopinââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠states that her death was instead a discovery of freedom from the physical strains of her marriage with her husband and societal viewsâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦She was finally free, and therefore did not want to jeopardize it by expressing her feelings too soon. Upon looking out the window Louise saw that ââ¬Å"there wer e patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other in the west facing her windowâ⬠(Chopin, 607). The blue sky symbolizes the sadness in her life from her marriage and the clouds piling over this blue sky represents the fact that the sadness in her life was finally fading away and her happiness was finally being reached with the passing of her husband. Louise, ââ¬Å"whose gaze was fixed away off yonder on one of those patches of blue skyâ⬠(Chopin, 607) realizes that this blue sky is indeed a representation of, as Cunningham would argue, ââ¬Å"control of her life fully, for there is no place for her in patriarchal societyâ⬠(Cunningham, 53). Louiseââ¬â¢s gaze of the blueness in the sky, is the true realization that she is free from all worries and can finally live as the dominant woman partner in the relationship. Mark Cunninghamââ¬â¢s critical argument looked at Louiseââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"new understanding of her marriage and her supposed sudden freedom from that marriage as well as the position of women in the late nineteenth-centuryâ⬠(Cunningham, 49). However, I feel itââ¬â¢s important to study the background surrounding why this marriage may have been so straining on Louiseââ¬â¢s life. Chopinââ¬â¢s short story makes many referencesShow MoreRelatedThe Unique Style Of Kate Chopin s Writing1603 Words à |à 7 PagesThe unique style of Kate Chopinââ¬â¢s writing has influenced and paved the way for many female authors. Although not verbally, Kate Chopin aired political and social issues affecting women and challenging the validity of such restrictions through fiction. Kate Chopin, a feminist in her time, prevailed against the notion that a womanââ¬â¢s purpose was to only be a housewife and nothing more. Kate Chopin fortified the importance of women empowerment, self-express ion, self-assertion, and female sexuality throughRead MoreKate Chopin s Literary Creativity And Women s Independence1097 Words à |à 5 Pagesthe most influential feminist writers of the century. From Chopinââ¬â¢s literary rejection of The Awakening, the rejection sparked a fire in Chopinââ¬â¢s feminist side. Chopin began writing short stories that would become societyââ¬â¢s lead in literary creativity and womenââ¬â¢s independence. Kate Chopinââ¬â¢s biography is astonishingly intriguing and the importance Chopin plays to the feminist literature genre is exceptional. Critics either rave Chopinââ¬â¢s work or completely destroy it. Kate Chopin, born KatherineRead MoreEssay on Structural Technique in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin861 Words à |à 4 Pagesshort story. Kate Chopin uses structural techniques to enhance ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠from beginning to end. She follows formal structure to a certain degree, but occasionally strays to actual structure. Upon analysis of the organization of Chopinââ¬â¢s story, the reader understands the powerful meaning that is expressed in such a short piece. Initially, a short story begins with an exposition. This is the laying out of important background information, characters, and setting. Chopinââ¬â¢s story is onlyRead MoreA Dolls House And A Dolls House Essay1421 Words à |à 6 Pages Henrik Ibsen one of his most famous literature works ââ¬Å"A dollââ¬â¢s houseâ⬠and Kate Chopinââ¬â¢s short story ââ¬Å"The story of an hourâ⬠portrays to the Victorian era, when women didnââ¬â¢t have rights. Both authors were born in an era where women didnââ¬â¢t have rights, and that women faced many aspects in life, such as being submissive to their husbandââ¬â¢s, they were viewed as possessions than as people, and live a life that they didnââ¬â¢t want to live during the Victorian age. Even though Ibsen did not live the life ofRead More Contrast of Irony and Style in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour1411 Words à |à 6 PagesContrast of Irony and Style in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hourà à à Kate Chopins use of irony in her short story, The Story of an Hour, stands in direct contrast to the subtle manner in which she tells the story. Strong use of irony in a short story yields more honesty in a character. She achieves this quality by immediately setting the premise, that Mrs. Mallards fragile health would ultimately lead to her demise, upon receiving the news of her husbands death. Before an immediate assumptionRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin862 Words à |à 4 PagesFiction Analysis: The Story of an Hour Kate Chopinââ¬â¢s short story, ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠, is about one married womanââ¬â¢s true hidden feelings of being married in the 19th century. The story was published in 1894, a time where it was unacceptable for women to express their wants and needs as a woman. Women were not seen equal to men and did not have the same privileges as men such as voting. Therefore, some of her literary works were considered controversial. It wasnââ¬â¢t soon until the late 20 centuryRead More Womens Repression in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Essay711 Words à |à 3 PagesKate Chopins The Story of an Hour is a great story that conveys an important message about life and how difficult it can be for women, particularly in previous centuries. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when this story was written, women were quite often mistreated and had to live restricted lives that lacked opportunity. Generally, women weren?t liberated during the 19th century. Traditionally , women did all the hard work in the house and had no opportunities to make their own living orRead MoreComparing the Yellow Wallpaper Story of an Hour1255 Words à |à 6 PagesGilman and ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠by Kate Chopin are two short stories that can today be categorized as feminist works of fiction. The main characters are females who are struggling for freedom from their husbands. Although the characters situations differ and the women react differently once they are aware of their suppression, the authors use similar motifs, imagery and themes. Both Gilman and Chopin use irony and the themes of repression of women in marriage and the importance of freedom to suggestRead MoreEssay about Symbolism in ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠671 Words à |à 3 Pagessymbols and imagery used by Kate Chopins in ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠give the reader a sense of Mrs. Mallardââ¬â¢s new life appearing before her through her view of an ââ¬Å"open windowâ⬠(para. 4). Louise Mallard experiences what most individuals long for throughout their lives; freedom and happiness. By spending an hour in a ââ¬Å"comfortable, roomy armchairâ⬠(para.4) in front of an open window, she undergoes a transformation that makes her understand the importance of her freedom. The authors use of Spring timeRead More The Differences in Josephine and Mrs. Mallard of Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour760 Words à |à 4 PagesThe Differences in Josephine and Mrs. Mallard of Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour Free! Body and soul free!, Mrs. Mallard kept whispering. One persons ultimate freedom may be seen as a tragedy to another. Kate Chopin illustrates this idea in The Story of an Hour. The story is set in the nineteenth century. Chopin uses the death of Mr. Mallard to show the reader Mrs. Mallards deep feelings. In the story, Josephine and Mrs. Mallard are sisters. Although the women come from the same
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