"Story of an Hour" Analysis

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Areli Espinoza Professor Palmer English 1302.208 13 February 2015 Analyzing “The Story of an Hour” Kate Chopin is the author of “The Story of an Hour." This classic short story takes place in the late 1800’s in the year of 1894. It’s about a young woman, whose name is Louise Mallard. She is newly widowed, and it shows her reacting throughout the time span of an hour. Louise Mallard was married to Brentley Mallard, the supposed deceased in the story. Although he was never violent and always sweet, she gave up her will for his happiness, as did all the other wives at that time. At some point in the story, she gains freedom from all that has kept her trapped all those years. Now society at the time was purely masculine. The women’s opinions weren’t taken into consideration. Women didn’t have the right to speak about anything other than housework or the children. Unrelated topics would be dismissed. Louise Mallard, was a young beautiful woman, who because of society rules was never allowed much of anything. In the quote, “There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence,” Chopin refers to the unspoken trade of power. Where both men and women, give themselves wholly to their significant other. When Louise Mallard married Mr. Mallard, she didn’t realize what she was giving up, she didn’t realize she would be giving her whole life up. “As Norma Basch observes… the patriarchy of that time “mandated the complete dependence of wives on husbands,” making marriage “a form of slavery,” (Jamil 2). This quote shows how marriage was a form of slavery at that point in time. Although Louise never complained of having a violent, or just mean husband, she does say that “… she had loved him- sometimes,” but happiness cannot be forced. She felt trapped; she had no say in anything, she was there to please her kind husband, and bear children. After news of her

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