Comparison Of Feminism In 'The Story Of An Hour' By Charlotte Perkins Gilman
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Feminism is the idea that men and women are equal. (Merriam-webster.com, 2017) Two feminist writers of the late 19th century are Kate Chopin and Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Both Chopin and Gilman wrote short stories that featured a female who was ill as the main character. It is in these stories that their views on the oppressiveness of marriage become evident. Kate Chopin, in her work entitled The Story of An Hour, uses metaphors and freedom to reveal her belief that women are oppressed while Gilman, having the same view, uses symbols and verbal irony. Chopin and Gilman convey their views on the oppression of women in marriage differently.
Kate Chopin, the author of The Story of An Hour, uses metaphors and a widow’s independence to show her view that marriage is oppressive. Upon hearing of her husband’s death, Louise Mallard, the main character in The Story of An Hour, recedes to her room. “When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone.” (Chopin, 2014) Louise’s withdrawal to her room acts as a metaphor for her life as a married woman. So far, Brently Mallard controlled the decisions, now Louise has the freedom to make her own choices without the ties of marriage. This metaphor shows oppression because Louise’s old life is compared to the oppressive feelings one has when confined to a room. Once locked in a room, a person would feel powerless, forgotten, and alone. These feelings characterized Louise’s life before her husband’s death. Therefore, as