Story of an Hour Outline
I. “The Story of an Hour”
II. Kate Chopin A. Lived 1850- 1940, wrote primarily in the 1890s B. She wasn’t accepted at the time because her writing was so controversial—especially because of her ideas on gender status
III. Characters A. Protagonist- Louis (Mrs. Mallard) B. Subordinate- Richard, Josephine C. Antagonist- Mr. Mallard, Society
IV. Setting A. Time- late 19th century B. Place- common 1900s household
V. Point of View- 3rd person omniscient
VI. Episode A. Mrs. Mallard thinks her husband has died, which gives her a new sense of freedom, but it turns out he is alive, and the shock and disappointment kills her.
VII. Plot A. Conflict- Louis is inferior to her husband 1. Louis vs. society 2. Louis vs. her husband B. Beginning situation 1. Mrs. Mallard is at home with a heart trouble (somber mood) C. Complicating incident 1. Mrs. Mallard is informed that her husband is thought to have been killed in a train accident D. Rising action 1. Louis wept hysterically, instantly and “with wild abandonment” 2. She goes to her room alone to sit in a “comfy” chair and look out the window 3. Out the window she sees joyful signs of spring—birds singing, blue sky 4. She stops sobbing and stares dully with “suspension of intelligent thought” 5. “something” begins to occur to her as if it’s coming in from the spring outside 6. She attempts to stop this thing from fully “possessing” her, but she is “powerless against it 7. She allowed it to take her over and realized that what she was, was “free, free, free!” 8. Louis felt “warmed and relaxed” with this new “monstrous joy” 9. She is not happy Mr. Mallard is dead, but she is happy that she now only belongs to herself 10. She realizes that although she loved her husband, and he loved her, he was still disabling her 11. Josephine does not understand this freedom and thinks Louis is making herself sick 12. Louis drinks
II. Kate Chopin A. Lived 1850- 1940, wrote primarily in the 1890s B. She wasn’t accepted at the time because her writing was so controversial—especially because of her ideas on gender status
III. Characters A. Protagonist- Louis (Mrs. Mallard) B. Subordinate- Richard, Josephine C. Antagonist- Mr. Mallard, Society
IV. Setting A. Time- late 19th century B. Place- common 1900s household
V. Point of View- 3rd person omniscient
VI. Episode A. Mrs. Mallard thinks her husband has died, which gives her a new sense of freedom, but it turns out he is alive, and the shock and disappointment kills her.
VII. Plot A. Conflict- Louis is inferior to her husband 1. Louis vs. society 2. Louis vs. her husband B. Beginning situation 1. Mrs. Mallard is at home with a heart trouble (somber mood) C. Complicating incident 1. Mrs. Mallard is informed that her husband is thought to have been killed in a train accident D. Rising action 1. Louis wept hysterically, instantly and “with wild abandonment” 2. She goes to her room alone to sit in a “comfy” chair and look out the window 3. Out the window she sees joyful signs of spring—birds singing, blue sky 4. She stops sobbing and stares dully with “suspension of intelligent thought” 5. “something” begins to occur to her as if it’s coming in from the spring outside 6. She attempts to stop this thing from fully “possessing” her, but she is “powerless against it 7. She allowed it to take her over and realized that what she was, was “free, free, free!” 8. Louis felt “warmed and relaxed” with this new “monstrous joy” 9. She is not happy Mr. Mallard is dead, but she is happy that she now only belongs to herself 10. She realizes that although she loved her husband, and he loved her, he was still disabling her 11. Josephine does not understand this freedom and thinks Louis is making herself sick 12. Louis drinks