Gender Stereotypes In Kate Chopin's Short Story 'The Storm'

The incredibly gifted author, Kate Chopin, expresses the irony of Calixta’s marriage in her story The Storm. Women were expected to have certain roles during the 19th century, and she addresses the real truth behind women's thoughts and actions with no concern to what society thought was correct. Chopin contrasts power, class, and morals among women during the 19th century.

The first theme Chopin demonstrates is the freedom of women in the nineteenth century. Many women

Chopin’s novel and short story provides awareness of the lack of independence and individuality that women are granted in that era. Chopin’s voices how Louise and Enda becomes accustom to living according to what the man of the house desires. “Then would be no power will bending hers in that blind persistence” (The Story of An hour). With Louise husband being gone, he would no longer interfere with her actions or even overrule what she has to say. Louise would be completely free from his authority. During that time men were of higher power and faced less restrictions. “She has abandoned her Tuesdays at home, has thrown over all acquaintances, and goes tramping about herself , mopping in the street cars, getting in after dark.”(Chopin 77). Leonce Pontellier expects Enda to be on this schedule and fulfill certain duties as his wife not knowing that the victorian lifestyle is not something she desires. While Leonce is able to do as he pleases like going to the Klein’s Club. Enda living according to his expectations does not allow her to be herself. This lifestyle also lacks individuality since it’s expected of women in

The rise of the Women’s Movement during 1890’s encouraged many to grant all human beings the same fundamental rights despite one's gender. Traditionally, sexual passion, in a woman's aspect of life, was considered inappropriate and wrong in societal views. Yet, Chopin boldly addresses sexual desire in a woman with a strong feminist tone in The Storm, empowering female sexuality.

I believe that most talented authors and artist use their life experiences to contribute to their work or projects. In the case of Kate Chopin I found it interesting that she used her past experience of an affair with Albert to ignite the story “The Storm.” Kate Chopin linked the use of names and setting with the stories she wrote based on her actual life experiences. Kate Chopin uses devices such as irony and symbolism, as well as her feminist mindset to project her ideas to the readers in the story “The Storm.”

Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” was written in 1898, but it was published until 1969. “Bibi laid his little hand on his father’s knee and was not afraid”(88), shows that whatever is to come will not cause problems. Kate Chopin uses a lot of symbolism throughout her stories to represent her feelings about things. A character or an object could represent a bigger idea throughout the story, which gives more meaning to the story. An analysis of the symbolism in Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” will show the meaning of the storm, the house, and the relationships.

In the late 1800s, nearly all women were viewed as subservient, inferior, second class females that lived their lives in a patriarchal and chauvinist society. Women often had no voice, identity, or independence during that time period. Moreover, women dealt with the horrors of social norms and the gender opposition of societal norms. The primary focus and obligation for a woman to obtain during the 1800s was to serve her husband and to obey to anything he said. Since women were not getting the equality, freedom, or independence that they desired, Kate Chopin, an independent-minded female American novelist of the late 1800s expressed the horrors, oppressions, sadness, and oppositions that women of that time period went through. Her works focused

Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome, and Kate Chopin’s The Awakening are novels that represent the traps that society has set forth for them. In both novels, suicide is seen as the only way to escape from their constricted circumstances in which these people are expected to live in. The Frome’s and The Pontellier’s have very similar circumstances, such as blaming each other for their problems, and having marriage’s which they are not happy in. “Her marriage to Leonce Pontellier was purely an accident, in this respect resembling many other marriages which masquerade as the decrees of Fate.” (29, Chopin)

The first theme Chopin demonstrates is the freedom of women in the nineteenth century. Many women

Chopin clearly states that women felt that they lost their freedom and that they were just mere prisoners of marriage. Mrs. Mallard’s tragedy is a good example to understand that women were unhappy and depressed, since society forced them to play a secondary role, where happiness and independence cannot be achieved. Kate Chopin, in reality, lost her husband, and perhaps she wrote ‘The Story of an Hour’ to tell that she could not find freedom with her husband’s death, and that the character’s fate was the only possible way to find it, not only for herself but for most women as

Women’s rights have drastically improved since the 1800’s. The model of patriarchy was widely accepted as a social norm in America and many other countries until the early to mid 1900’s. Today women are still fighting the belittlement that the patriarchal model deemed acceptable. The character of the rebellious strong women is still one today that many women look up to; especially women in very oppressive middle east countries. In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, Chopin strives to argue social emancipation for women

The topic I chose to conduct my research on is the short story “The Story of an Hour”, by Kate Chopin. While reading this story the deeper meaning may not be initially apparent, but after some careful analyzation it is clear what led to Mrs. Mallard’s demise. I have chosen to conduct my research on “The Story of an Hour” because I previously studied it in my Intro to Fiction course last semester and it’s impactful message stood out. The deeper message being communicated through “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is how oppression by patriarchal forces hinders female independence.

In the past women were expected by society to stay home and do the house work,take care of the kids and stay devoted to their husbands but then someone comes along and completely goes against those standards. This is exactly what Kate Chopins is trying to explain in the book The Awakening because she didn't like the expectations/standards that were put on women and when she wrote a book about it everyone thought that it was scandalous to the point to where it was banned. It was banned because during those times people didn't really think or even knew about what would happen in some marriages like cheating, or standards that were put on women. Through the book The Awakening there are many symbols that take a big part in the book in which they all goes a bigger meaning in the story

One theme from the yellow wallpaper is a feminism , telling a story about a woman’s struggles against males thinking ; on how they see women. Ever since she moved to the apartment on the top floor with the yellow wallpaper she has decicated to find a pattern on it. She was trapped in a mental state and was seeking mental freedom. Her husband john isn’t very nice to her he treats as a pet ,”John laughs at me, of course , but one expects that in marriage”. She was given the “rest cure” which only makes her makes her more ill because she can 't express herself.

Women in the 1890s were expected to work at home to keep their husbands comfortable and bear him children. Kate Chopin wrote most of her short stories during this time period. Her stories “A Respectable Woman” and “A Story of an Hour” show a female protagonist who want their freedom and control over their own lives. Her characters pushed the bounds of the roles that society gave them and showed the brutal reality of how women were treated in the 1890s. In “A Respectable Woman” the female protagonist Mrs. Baroda is married and lives on a plantation with her husband, who invites a friend to spend a week or two with them. Mrs. Baroda feels inner conflict with wanting to be with her husband’s friend, but also her duty as a woman in society. Within “A Story of an Hour” Mrs. Mallard faces a similar situation when she wants the freedom and autonomy from her husband. Through these works of Kate Chopin, the reader can see that the women protagonists face inner dispute, self-realization, and resolution with those feelings.