The Story of an Hour As the title puts it, “The Story of an Hour” is a story that happens in one hour. This story mostly revolves around one woman, Louise Mallard. The story begins on a very sad note especially in the eyes of a reader. Mrs. Mallard is said to have a “heart trouble” (Chopin 1), so her sister Josephine felt that great care had to be taken when delivering the sad news of her husband Brently Mallard’s death. Upon the delivery of the news, she starts sobbing and grieving then goes to her room to be by herself.
John Proctor is a strong character that represents these qualities. Not only does he unfortunately fall to desolation, but also his character captures the sympathy and pity from the audience or readers. In some ways, John Proctor is a admirable man. His good quality was his honesty. His honest personality is first witnessed when he expresses some of his true feelings and affection toward his wife inside their humble home.
Is marriage a prison? According to Kate Chopin, the answer is – yes; marriage is a prison in which freedom does not exist. In 1894, Kate Chopin wrote and published “Story of an Hour.” The story takes place in the late nineteenth century in an American home, where Mrs. Mallard, the protagonist, heard about the news of her husband’s death from her sister. In the beginning, Mrs. Mallards felt sad about her husband’s death. The feeling, however, shifts because she begins to be happy about her husband’s death.
Chopin describes Louise as not perceiving her husband's death as society expected her to, "She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance" (Chopin, 1894). Chopin showed Louise's short-lived grief of her husband's death as, "[s]he wept with sudden wild abandonment, and when the storm of grief had spent itself, she went away to her room alone"( Chopin, 1894, para.3). Louise openly showed grief, but retreated to her room to be alone to hide her true feelings. Kate Chopin used imagery and the senses of sight, sound, and smell to describe how Louise started to come alive; she could see "[t]he tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life and the clouds with patches of blue sky." She heard "[t]he sounds of a peddler calling out his wares from the streets below, a distant song of someone singing faintly, and sparrows twittering in the eaves."
Robin Shreve Ms. Johnson English 112 April 13, 2013 Symbolism of Two Stories Symbolism is one of many elements an author can use to aid a reader in understanding the picture being painted with words in a story. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Peter Meinke’s “The Cranes” is filled with symbolism throughout these two stories. “The Story of an Hour” tell us about Mrs. Mallard who has a weak heart. She is told of her husband Mr. Mallard’s death from her sister Josephine and husband’s friend Richards. Her first feelings were of despair and then her mind begins thinking and she realizes she is free.
As can be inferred, her heart is a major hindrance in their lives, and is constantly needing attention. Another role the heart plays in the story is Mrs. Mallard’s liberation. She feels oppressed by her marriage and her husband, and wants to live for herself. When she goes to the room by herself and sits in the large, comfortable chair, she whispers to herself, “Free! Body and soul, free!.” This shows that she feels like her heart, her soul, is trapped by her marriage, and with the news of the death of her husband, she is first filled with grief, because she did love him, but later with glee when she realizes that she is free.
Analysis of "The Story Of An Hour" by Kate Chopin I wrote my paper on “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. On the following pages, you will read about a character by the name of Louise. She was married at a time when marriage was not about mutual love. When she hears of her husbands’ death, she feels sorrow but is overcome with feelings of joy. Louise has found a freedom that she had forgotten she had.
Mallard and her husband to me seem like she loved him but was not in love with him. The story talks about certain situations that she must live thought like the death of her husband. The reader would think that by hearing the news that Mr. Mallard had been killed, Mrs. Mallard would be upset and hurt, instead she felt liberated and free to live her live as she please. It seems that once she found out that her husband was dead that now she could finally live for herself establish her own identity. Mrs. Mallard cried but it was not tears of sorrow, it was tears of joy.
(To My Dear and Loving Husband.) We also see Mary's love for her husband in her writings when she shows relief that he is alive and well after the Indians had lied to her and said he was dead. She was truly concerned about him throughout her writings and wanted to return to
It is only when one hears pet names from someone one does not love that they are condescending, and until the climax of the play, Nora genuinely loves Torvald. We know this because she saves her husband’s life with a morally questionable act. This act may have ultimately led to the undoing of the marriage, but she does it “out of love” (209) nonetheless. Nora feels that Torvald has been kind to her, and she “thought it was fun when [Torvald] played with [her]” (249). And play they do.