Mrs. Mallards Character in The Story of an Hour by Kate...

Socrates, a Greek philosopher once said: Each one must know himself. Unfortunately, most of us are not aware of our true character. Social conventions are the main cause making us repress what we really think and feel. Only when unexpected events happen, we do have an opportunity to take a close look at our hidden self.The Story of An Hour by Kate Chopin reflects the dramatic development process of Mrs.Mallards character through the death of her husband; it demonstrates that the true identity cannot be sheltered forever. At the beginning of the story, the author describes Mrs.Mallard as a woman having the distinctive trait of self-assertion which is constrained by her marriage. She seems to be the victim of an†¦show more content†¦Although she had loved him--sometimes, she unconsciously does not want to accept blindly the situation of being controlled by her husband. Mrs.Mallard is not a one-dimentional, clone-like woman having an expected, acceptable emotional response for every life condition. Mrs.Mallards rather uncommon reaction to the news of Mr.Brently Mallards death logically foreshadows the complete revelation of her suppressed longing for freedom. Being alone in her room When the storm of grief is over, she experiences something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it? She did not know; it was too subtle and elusive to name. Finally, she recognizes the freedom she has desired for a long time and it overcomes her sorrow: Free! Body and soul free! She kept whispering. In her soul, the dark clouds are disappearing because she is illuminated. All the memories of her husband are now of the past. She is living in the present. At this point, she is no longer Mrs.Mallard. She is Louise and is ready to welcome a new horizon of freedom : Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own. Overwhelmed with a new sense of herself, she feels as if she was a goddess of Victory. In just a brief hour, she learns what it is like to be her own person, to live for herself without the force of her husbands will.Show MoreRelated The Story of an Hour and The Hand Essay1161 Words   |  5 PagesThe â€Å"Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin and ‘†The Hand† by Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette are similar in theme and setting. Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette and Kate Chopin create the theme of obligatory love and the unhappiness it entails. Both stories illustrate the concealed emotions many women feel in their marriage yet fail to express them. The two stories take place in a sacred room of the house and both transpire in a brief amount of time. The differences between the two stories are seen through theRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin862 Words   |  4 PagesFiction Analysis: The Story of an Hour Kate Chopin’s short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, is about one married woman’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 wasn’t soon until the late 20 centuryRead More Irony in Kate Chopins Story of an Hour Essay796 Words   |  4 Pagesin Chopins Story of an Hour    Irony is a useful device for giving stories many unexpected twists and turns. In Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour, irony is used as an effective literary device. Situational irony is used to show the reader that what is expected to happen sometimes doesnt. Dramatic irony is used to clue the reader in on something that is happening that the characters in the story do not know about. Irony is used throughout Chopins The Story of an Hour through theRead More Irony in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour Essays1295 Words   |  6 PagesIrony in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour A very dull and boring story can be made into a great story simply by adding in something that is unexpected to happen. When the unexpected is used in literature it is known as irony. An author uses irony to shock the reader by adding a twist to the story. The author of â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is Kate Chopin. Her use of irony in the story is incredibly done more than once. Irony is thinking or believing some event will happen but in return the unexpectedRead More The Differences in Josephine and Mrs. Mallard of Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour760 Words   |  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 sameRead MoreKate Chopin s An Hour1323 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"protection† under an onerous marriage. In The Story of an Hour, through peculiar sentence structure, feministic themes, and irony, Kate Chopin portrays the resentment of women towards the oppressive institution of marriage through Mrs. Mallard’s joviality for her newly discovered freedom- a product of her husband’s assumed passing. Body Paragraph #1- Literary Device: Sentence Structure Kate Chopin commences the short story with â€Å"Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, greatRead MoreThe Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin Essay1528 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin is very intriguing, not only because of the emotional change Louise Mallard goes through the hour after her husband’s tragic death but also the way Chopin uses irony in the story. During this analysis of â€Å"The Story of an Hour† we will discuss the summary, plot, setting, tone, theme, point of view, emotions of Louise Mallard and other characters involved in the story. Chopin’s story uses the feelings of a married womanRead MoreThe Feminist Movement By Kate Chopin And Boys And Girls By Alice Munro1231 Words   |  5 Pagesrights equal to that of men. Two short stories, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin and â€Å"Boys and Girls† by Alice Munro, relate experiences from female perspectives, highlighting oppression against women. The authors use different techniques to show the protagonists’ similar struggle for liberation in their male-dominated environments. While Alice Munro uses the voice of a young girl to establish the limitations women face throughout their entire life, Kate Chopin uses the â€Å"heart disease† of the protagonistRead MoreThe Concept of Epiphany in Kate Chopins Story of an Hour1262 Words   |  5 PagesEpiphany (Rewrite Order #A2101292) An epiphany is the sudden realization or manifestation of understanding, and in the Story of an Hour, by Kate Chopin, a woman experienced an epiphany that ultimately had tragic results. The tragedy was foreshadowed in the first line when the narrator informed the reader of Mrs. Mallards heart trouble and the problems it could bring when informing her of her husbands death. But instead of being the cause of tremendous sorrow, the death of her husband broughtRead MoreStory Of An Hour Critical Analysis770 Words   |  4 PagesKate Chopin’s short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour (1894),† portrays that the confinements placed on women due to gender roles was unjust. Chopin illustrates this through the progression of Mrs. Mallards emotions and thoughts after learning of her husbands supposed death, as well as alluding to their form of marriage. Chopins purpose is to point out how unjust woman were treated in society in order to bring about change on such treatment. Given t he time period, Chopin dedicated her short story to