Story of an Hour analysis
Kris Webster
Dr. Hobbs
English 102
3 December 2013
Text Analysis (Revised) “The Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin tells the story of a woman named Mrs. Mallard, whose mood changes from mournful to delighted after she thinks her husband has died from a tragic train wreck. The woman stays faithful and mourns her husband’s death, and then she realizes that she is free because marriage is supposed to be until death do the people part. She realized that she went from being in a relationship where marriage was seen from a sexist point of view of the woman is the man’s property. Her mood changes when she realizes she is now free. “The Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin is a well-written short story during the time when women were seen as objects. They were meant to have babies and keep their husbands happy and satisfied. I want to know why the woman that is mentioned in the story goes from being sad to happy after she thinks her husband has died. The lady that is mentioned throughout the story starts off by only being known by her last name, Mallard, which is a type of duck. Why do you, the reader, think she is known only by her last name? Ms. Chopin does this to make people wonder if she even has a first name or that she has just assumed the role as wife, so the lady will be known as Mr. and Mrs., so and so like newlyweds often do. Did she not want the people to know her by her first name or did she want to wait until she was free because her husband died and then she was able to pronounce to the world that she was free? I feel as if there is irony behind the whole situation. The irony is when she looks out the window then tells world she is free because marriage is supposed to be until death, so she makes it look like she wanted him to die so that way she would be set free. Then once she realizes that he is alive, she dies of heart trouble of what Chopin calls “the joy that kills” (Story of an Hour). What are some of the possibilities of
Dr. Hobbs
English 102
3 December 2013
Text Analysis (Revised) “The Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin tells the story of a woman named Mrs. Mallard, whose mood changes from mournful to delighted after she thinks her husband has died from a tragic train wreck. The woman stays faithful and mourns her husband’s death, and then she realizes that she is free because marriage is supposed to be until death do the people part. She realized that she went from being in a relationship where marriage was seen from a sexist point of view of the woman is the man’s property. Her mood changes when she realizes she is now free. “The Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin is a well-written short story during the time when women were seen as objects. They were meant to have babies and keep their husbands happy and satisfied. I want to know why the woman that is mentioned in the story goes from being sad to happy after she thinks her husband has died. The lady that is mentioned throughout the story starts off by only being known by her last name, Mallard, which is a type of duck. Why do you, the reader, think she is known only by her last name? Ms. Chopin does this to make people wonder if she even has a first name or that she has just assumed the role as wife, so the lady will be known as Mr. and Mrs., so and so like newlyweds often do. Did she not want the people to know her by her first name or did she want to wait until she was free because her husband died and then she was able to pronounce to the world that she was free? I feel as if there is irony behind the whole situation. The irony is when she looks out the window then tells world she is free because marriage is supposed to be until death, so she makes it look like she wanted him to die so that way she would be set free. Then once she realizes that he is alive, she dies of heart trouble of what Chopin calls “the joy that kills” (Story of an Hour). What are some of the possibilities of
Cited: Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.”