01.05: The Story Of An Hour

During the Progressive Era, many women displayed a deceitful facade when interacting amongst society. They remain respectful and dutiful to their husbands in public, as vowed through their commitment in marriage. Deep down, however, ideas of revenge towards their husbands dominated this facade. Authors Kate Chopin and Susan Glaspell produce several works throughout this era that justifyingly portray the strain between women and their male counterparts in relation to marriage and divorce. Both authors express the way gender roles were set during the Progressive Era, specifically by writing “Story of an Hour” and “Jury of Her Peers” to illustrate the freedom women wanted to achieve apart from their husbands, which reflects these individual’s morals, psychological and social awareness of self identity.

This essay is going to be about comparing two short stories that I have read. There are many things that a person can compare, whether it’s the literal meaning of something or a figurative meaning. Both things will be discussed in the essay, along with contrasting the two stories The first story I will be talking about is “The Interlopers” by Saki. This story is about two neighbors fighting over hunting grounds.

Hour of Freedom “The Story of an Hour” is a short story written by Kate Chopin. It details a wife named Mrs. Louise Mallard, who struggles with a heart condition. After learning of her husband, Brentley Mallard’s death in a railroad accident, Mrs. Mallard deals with grief in many stages. Chopin incorporates many literary devices throughout “The Story of an Hour,” but imagery is the most evident.

Mrs. Mallards was relieved when she found out that her husband was gone forever. Mrs. Mallards gave the impression of mourning when in fact she was actually relieved. Mrs. Mallards had felt trapped for quite some time while her husband was alive. Once Mrs. Mallards heard that he was dead, she believed that she was finally free. At the end of the story, Mrs. Mallards got what she deserved from karma.

Women’s role in the household and in the workforce has changed significantly since the years prior to the 1950’s. During World War II, women joined the workforce to replace jobs that were left vacant by men in battle. In today’s society, women have become extremely prominent in the workforce, leaving behind their traditional roles of being the “ideal housewife.” This was how it was for decades, and in the story “The Story of an Hour” and the play Trifles, marriage is portrayed as a binding prison that these women wish to escape. Both Glaspell and Chopin go into the different extremes of how far an oppressed woman would go to free herself from her marriage.

“The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich and “Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin both have the common theme of death; however, in “The Red Convertible”, the death of Henry ends the very close relationship that he has with his brother Lyman while in “Story of an Hour”, the death of Mr. Mallard marks an opportunity of independence and freedom for Mrs. Mallard which shows that the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Mallard was unsatisfactory. “The Red Convertible” shows the literary conflict of person versus person through the good relationship between Henry and Lyman and has the prevalent theme of death. The brotherly relationship between Henry and Lyman starts off very close and friendly, however after Henry comes back from being drafted into the

Every person has the right to be and feel free. They have the right to be independent and live happily. Kate Chopin’s, “The Story of an Hour,” focuses on sixty minutes in the life of a young Mrs. Mallard. Upon learning of her husband’s death, Mrs. Mallard experiences a revelation about her future without a husband. Her life, due to heart problems, suddenly ends after she unexpectedly finds out her husband is actually alive.

Death of Freedom “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin begins as a heart-wrenching tale about a wife losing her husband to a railroad accident. The main character, Mrs. Mallard, has an awful heart condition, so her family has to be extremely cautious when breaking the horrible news to her. After moments of weeping, she makes her way upstairs where she will go through many emotional changes. The theme of freedom and self-realization is shown through Mrs. Mallard. After dealing with pain for years, she comes to a point of peace, relaxation, and, most importantly, hope.

In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” readers are dropped into a deep conflict. A man must tell a woman that her husband is dead. In the beginning there is a subtle hint at the ironic twist ending, but the story goes on cooly in spite of it. Readers start to feel connected to Mrs. Mallard and begins to pity her situation, all because of irony. The effect of irony in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” enhances the protagonist’s situation, it introduces the effect of the foreshadowing, and indirectly characterizes the protagonist.

Another Side of Marriage An unloved marriage can be one of the most intricate and dreadful parts of an individual’s identity. It influences many aspects of an individual. freedom, independence, individuality as well as emotional growth and moral orientation. A person’s interaction and connection with a unloved marriage is the foundation of their character, of the kind of people they will grow to be, and the values they will uphold in their daily lives.