Preview

Irony In Kate Chopin's Story Of An Hour

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
389 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Irony In Kate Chopin's Story Of An Hour
Irony is a statement or action whose obvious meaning is hidden by a contrary meaning. In both endings of Story of an Hour and Bliss irony is used. In Story of an Hour, the characters and the doctor believe that Louise died “of joy that kills.” (p.97). However, the readers know that her death was from an unspoken and completely different cause. From the moment Mrs. Mallard had received news that her husband had died, she was overjoyed. She began to visualize a new, free life. With her husband dead, she could finally be in control of her life and live for herself, “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

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Irony, in literature can be anything from sarcasm to a shocking plot twist that can be inconvenient to the characters toward the end. A type of irony is situational which is where something very unexpected shows up at the last minute making the outcome of the story completely different then you expected. Such as the one in Lord of the Flies that effects one special character named Simon, and really almost all the characters.…

    • 294 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The 20th century was a time where social changes started to develope in American society. Women now were allowed more freedom of choice involving what career they wanted to proceed, or even having the choice to not get married. The stereotypes of women being a house-wife and homemaker, no longer needed to be accepted into society. In her story, Kate Chopin used dramatic irony and situational irony to express her theme that the role of women was changing in American society.…

    • 81 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Story of an Hour situational irony is used when Mr. Mallard turns up alive when during the whole story he is thought to be dead. It is ironic when Mrs. Mallard dies at the end of the story. There is foreshadowing for Mrs. Mallard dying but it is still unexpected. It is also ironic when we are not told any details about Mrs. Mallard’s death when throughout the whole story so far we have been told everything that Mrs. Mallard is thinking. In The Interlopers there is situational irony when Ulrich and Georg are eaten by wolves at the end of the story. This is ironic because the two men just became friends and it is expected that they will be rescued and live happily ever after but instead they are killed by wolves. There was slight foreshadowing of their fate being decided by nature when the story states that the creatures were abnormally active tonight but the ending was still much…

    • 490 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour,” her incorporation of connotative diction conveys an optimistic tone that coincides with the main character’s gradual realization that life can still be found after death.…

    • 301 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Regionalsim

    • 398 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Two types of irony are presented in the short story The Story of an Hour, situational and dramatic irony. Situational irony is irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected. Dramatic irony is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters in the play or story. Situational irony is expressed through Mrs. Mallard’s actions to her husband’s death in the train accident. When she first heard the news of her husband’s death Mrs. Mallard “wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment”(188). It appeared to everyone that she was very sad and upset so she went upstairs to her bedroom; although, she was flowing with excitement. It is natural for a person to be very upset after losing a loved one, so they all understood what was happening.…

    • 398 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Chopin uses imagery and descriptive detail to contrast the rich possibilities for which Mrs. Mallard yearns with the drab reality of her everyday life. Chopin uses specific words to give the reader a background on Mrs. Mallard’s position. Chopin uses “Fearfully” to describe what Mrs. Mallard’s reaction is when she finds out her husband is dead and realized that she is on her own. The word “Fearfully” shows that Mrs. Mallard did in fact love her husband. It does this by giving the reader the implication that she was worried about how she would live without him to be there for her. She was afraid to go on without having him there for her. Later on in the story the use of the word “Unwittingly” describes Mrs. Mallard’s mood. This shows that Mrs. Mallard had made peace with her husband’s death, and she is doing what she has to do. Mrs. Mallard is not going to worry about her husband’s death because she has…

    • 1643 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Kate Chopin's “The Story of an Hour”, Mrs. Mallord experiences multiple emotions. After hearing of her husband's death, Mrs. Mallord goes through different stages of grieving. She experiences grief, relief, and remorse. The first emotion she experiences is grief. “ She wept with sudden abandonment in her sister’s arms” is an example of her sorrow ( Chopin 223). The next emotion she feels is relief. After being married to Mr. Mallord for so long she is relieved to be a free women. She whispers “free, free, free” repeatedly to herself in her bedroom ( 224). She also states “ Free! Body and soul, free” showing her relief of finally being an independent woman(224). After feeling joy of being a free woman, she starts to feel remorse. Mrs. Mallord…

    • 203 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin gives us a very interesting look at how an hour can be such a long time. This story is filled with irony. Every time that you think that you have the plot figured out, Chopin tosses in another twist that throws our minds for a loop. As I read this story the first time I thought how strange, but as I read it again and again I started pick up bits and pieces of what the author was trying to convey.…

    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The Story of an Hour” is a two page short story written by Kate Chopin (born February 8, 1851 died August 22, 1904) (Larsson Donald, and Erskine Thomas 1), but despite its small size, it is filled with conflicting emotions and symbolism. The amount of well-hidden symbolism can make it very confusing, but it also gives the story an unlimited amount of meaning. At first glance, many may not realize that the sky is a symbol, or understand a kind “of joy that kills” (Chopin 128), and cannot comprehend the mental state someone must be in to fell “free” (129) from hearing of death of her spouse.…

    • 2338 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Usually when someone close to you dies it is very upsetting, but what if someone actually dies from a heartache? The short story, “The Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin examines female oppression and emancipation during the nineteenth century. This idea is shown through gender roles, marriage, and power.…

    • 921 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Irony in Kate Chopin

    • 1099 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Kate Chopin's stories characteristically end or contain an ironic twist. Chopin uses irony to create excitement and suspense and to also provide a deeper meaning to her story. Irony can create different parallels to a story that would otherwise be one dimensional. Kate Chopin uses irony in "The Storm" and "Désirée's Baby" effectively creating beautiful and complex stories.…

    • 1099 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the short story, Story of an Hour, Chopin illustrates that societal expectations will subdue and repress one’s identity. Firstly, in the very first paragraph it is noted that Mrs. Mallard is afflicted with heart trouble; naturally, one would presume that she is of quite some age, however, in the eighth paragraph it reads, “She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength.” (Chopin, 8th paragraph) This comes as a surprise to the reader as it was originally inferred that she was much older but now that the reader becomes aware of her age, they are able to deduce how much psychological and emotional strain must have been pressed upon her to have lines that “bespoke repression” at such a young age. As well, Mrs. Mallard may have been inclined to enjoy those first few moments of newfound freedom in solitude, as she would not like anyone to see her in peace after her husband’s death. This sentence accurately illustrates how societal norms have repressed her identity, causing her to even hide from her sister to avoid questioning.…

    • 461 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin begins her short story from the terrifying experience in which the bearer of bad news weighs between outcomes of relaying bad news to the intended recipient – Mrs. Mallard. Louise Mallard is reported to be a highly vulnerable human being. This forces her sister Josephine to take great precaution in relaying the news of her husband’s death. In the true spirit of good winning against evil, Chopin, although a feminist, equates the ending of the story to the desired ending of a comedy by killing Mrs. Mallard thus proving her immature ego and self-victimization. Berkove dismissed any suggestion that Mrs. Mallard was a heroine and promoted her as a…

    • 1855 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is filled with Irony. Irony, in this story, is defined by something other than the expected happening. From the beginning, things are not what they seem. The author makes the reader believe that the main character will react in one way, but to our surprise something different happens. She creates, in our minds, an idea that there will be sorrow and mourning over death. After reading the first paragraph I thought the main character might even die because she was so saddened by the news of her late husband. Much to my surprise, the story take a whole different turn.…

    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mrs. Loise Mallard husband, Brently Mallard, has died in a train accident, according to a report received at a newspaper office.…

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays