Another example of Kate Chopin’s usage of irony is at the end when its said, “ they said she died of heart disease- of joy that kills” in a since they are right. The last hour Mrs. Mallard has spent she has experienced great joy; thinking of her new life, but
The author Kate Chopin is a woman born in the 1800’s who wrote about the individuality of women and understanding a woman’s viewpoint during this time. Women in the 19th century were not culturally and economically accepted, wherefore they were thought as property to be owned by anyone who pleases. An analysis of Chopin’s, “Ripe Figs” will show the use of theme through patience, freedom, and maturity by relating the maturity process to the seasons of the year and the ripening of the figs. The first theme that Kate Chopin provides an image of is patience. One-way Chopin presents patience in her writing is through her usage of comparing Mamaine-Nainaine to Babette.
Kate Chopin was born in St. Louis, Missouri, she was born on February 8, 1850 and died on August 22, 1904. Kate was raised solely by her mother which meant her household was dominated by woman. She attended the Academy
"There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature" (Page 499). Chopin makes her strong statement in this quote from the story. Mrs. Mallard has no one to answer to but herself, and she feels liberated that her husband can no longer control her. During the late nineteenth century, women quite frequently had to suppress themselves to the will of their husbands, or to some other man who had a significant amount of control over their lives.
With her new found freedom being ripped away from her and her being trapped back under the rule of her husband ultimately killed Mrs. Mallard. The Doctor said that “She died from the joy that kills.”(Chopin 525) , but she died because her heart could not handle being trapped under her husbands rule
The ending of the book sparked a lot of controversy over the way that Chopin decided to Edna Pontellier to make Edna commit suicide. The book ends with the suicide of Mrs. Pontellier, but we can connect the death of the main character to Chopin herself who became a widow after her husband died leaving her with five children. It was after the death of her husband that Chopin began to write about the life of a married woman. Mrs. Pontellier’s death was a way of freedom from the shackles of being a mom and having to hide her love with Robert because she was married to her husband. In the story Chopin prepares the death of Edna through the use of symbolism by making her go naked into the water to portray Edna’s revival stating, “How strange and awful it seemed to stand naked under the sky!
First of all, Kate Chopin rebelled against the social roles of women. Chopin was influenced by strong female figures from the beginning. Chopin was close to her father, who encouraged her free spirit, but she grew up in a matriarchal family when her father died in a railroad accident when she was only 5 years old, in 1855. Chopin’s mother never remarried. “The O’Flaherty household became a matriarchy, run by several confident, independent widows: Chopin’s mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Victoire Charleville” (Larrabee).
She promised to never again “belong to another than herself” (Chopin), and this is exactly what her suicide represented. Her suicide symbolised her complete authority she had over herself. Every decision she made once she was awakened was rash and defiant. Living peacefully independently would not seem fitting. Thus Chopin was able to portray a message that not only defended a woman’s right to individualism, but was able to explore the reality of mortality and the power human’s possess over natural
Kate Chopin wrote “She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air.” The new spring life is a metaphor for Mrs. Mallard’ new life. Kate Chopin wanted to say Mrs. Mallard would live for herself during those coming years and achieve her own rights which she never had during her marriage by using metaphors and describing the natural environment. This also indicated Kate Chopin advocates women’s rights. Another indication of feminism is that the author developed Mrs. Mallard’s true identity.
In order to be able to fully understand Chopin’s message, readers must envision the tradition of the Victorian society in which Kate lived. This was a society that clearly defined the gender role. Looking at Louse Mallard, one of the characters in the book, the author uses a woman who suddenly discovered a new life after the death of her husband. Ironically, Kate depicts Louise’s independence as a doomed fantasy because such freedom was actually unrealistic for the 19th Century woman. In this book, Chopin clearly outlines the importance of a woman’s identity other than her main role as a man’s wife