For example, heart trouble is symbolic for love pain. This “pain” was a result from her controlling marriage and the overwhelming amount of energy that was required for her to keep the marriage functioning. However, after Louise reflects over the death of her husband and her new direction in life, the symbolism changes from dark to positive and light. One instance is the “open window” which faced her in her chair when she went into her room. The “open window” is mentioned multiple times throughout the short story and is present to refresh the idea of being free and having options.
Each symbol serves to bring a new dimension of meaning to the story and create an increasingly intricate level of semantic detail. Mrs. Mallard’s heart condition is immediately recognized in the story as her sister Josephine and family friend Richard are cautious to break the news of her husbands sudden death. Much to the reader’s surprise, however, Mrs. Mallard’s secret triumphant behavior is soon advertised, revealing an insight into the marriage of these two characters. Louise briefly speaks of the moment she will first see the body of her husband. Although she dreads this inevitable scene, it quickly vanished from her mind as she is filled with positive thoughts of a new beginning.
Themes Though it is a remarkably short piece of fiction, “The Open Window” explores a number of important themes. Mr. Nuttel comes to the country in an attempt to cure his nervous condition. He pays a visit to the home of Mrs. Sappleton in order to introduce himself, and before he gets to meet the matron of tha house, he is intercepted by her niece, who regales him with an artful piece of fiction that, in the end, only makes his nervous condition worse. Appearances and Reality It is no surprise that Mrs. Sappleton’s niece tells a story that is easy to believe. She begins with an object in plain view, an open window, and proceeds from there.
The Story of an Hour is about a woman with a fragile heart, who is carefully informed of her husband Brently Mallard's death due to a railroad accident. As one reads the story, it is simple to believe that Mrs. Mallard weeps at the news of her husband’s death, for now she is a young widow who may have been deeply in love. However, there is much more depth and there are layers to the story that spark the question of how well one can truly know what another feels if one only knows a short part of the story. Mrs. Mallard maintains a façade of loving her husband, which is also perpetuated by the world view that a married couple loves each other. She is oppressed by her husband, whose “face…had never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead”.
On the oppose side of the marital spectrum, Zeena regularly professes her hypochondria to her husband. However, in response to the sledding accident, she “seemed to be raised right up just when the call came to her” (Wharton 131). This ironic “miracle” proves Zeena’s addiction to martyrdom, emotionally dependent on first her illnesses, then to her vocational role. Although professedly unhappy, she relies on her marriage for a sense of purpose. In an examination of the constancies, it seems as though both wife and husband, woman and man, are reliant upon both one another and their marriage to function
This gets Ms.Mallards weak heart flows blood pumps again which was previously unheard of because of her heart condition. She also realized the freedom she has gained from the passing of her husband can make a difference, pertaining to her becoming a new woman. When Ms. Mallard sees her husband that she thought was died in the beginning of the story, she becomes overwhelmed and she dies of a heart attack. It is cynical that the doctor states Ms. Mallard dies from a “happy
The constant use of "I" puts us right in the narrator’s head and allows us to empathize with her. Ironic Indirection If we took the narrator’s words at face value, we would believe that her husband is kind and loving, that she really is physically ill, and that women really do get trapped in wallpaper. All of this is questionable at best and mostly dead wrong. This is part of the fun of first person narration – you’re never quite sure if the narrator’s perceptions actually reflect what’s going on. The narrator's tone also clues us into her character – her uncertainty and hesitation at the start of the story, and her determination towards the
The Story of an Hour Death opens its mouth to consume a husband and fights to take the wife in this bitter sweet story of a woman caught in a loveless marriage. Mrs. Mallard hears the details slightly, in small elements, from her sister trying to relieve her of any more grief than necessary. Worrying about her heart condition and trying to save her sister’s life during this tragic time, Josephine chooses her words wisely and slowly to break the news of Mr. Mallard’s death. Josephine and others have seen the illusion of love as she tries to spare her poor sister any more sorrow. The theme of this story screams of bereavement.
“Is your man secret? Did you ne'er hear say, ‘Two may keep counsel, putting one away’?” (2.5.185-186). By allowing and even helping Juliet to keep her marriage from her parents, the nurse digs them both into a bigger hole with each lie that passes her lips and every time she helps Romeo and Juliet instead of going to the parents. Had she told the truth the deaths of the young lovers could have easily been avoided, but the Nurse continued to feed people disinformation. In Juliet’s most time of need, she goes on to say “(Romeo) Hath not so green, so quick, so fair an eye As Paris hath.”(3.5.222-223).
Comparing and Contrasting “The Story of the Hour” to “The Tell Tale Heart” How would you feel if you are trapped somewhere? In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, Mrs. Mallard is a wife who is trapped in an unfulfilling marriage and even diagnosed with a weak heart. She is the type of woman who wants to feel liberated in her own life. In “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator is a madman and murderer who fails to conceal his fear after he kills an old man. Although they both have many similarities, surprisingly there are many differences between these two stories.