The Story of an Hour

The Story of an Hour

Introduction

"The Story of an Hour", written by Kate Chopin in the late 18th Century, is a dramatic example of a woman who suddenly discovers her freedom from the repression of her marriage. The author vividly portrays the low position of a wife in a suppressive marriage of that time. Although this story is short, only covering the last hour of the woman's life, the impact on the reader is to make her realize how few rights women had in the past and to appreciate the freedom women have today. The author conveys this effect by several literary techniques. She uses images of the freedom present in nature to convey the missing freedom in Mrs. Mallard's life. She uses techniques of surprise. Finally she uses irony to support many twists and turns in the story. She uses these elements to present a short story with a big impact which makes the reader thinks about how she shouldn't take those freedoms for granted.

Discussion

The protagonist, Mrs. Mallard receives a piece of news from her sister and sister's husband that Mr. Mallard is killed in a railroad accident. She reacts to this message as most wives do at that period of time which is to go into immediate shock. Her mind is blank at that moment when she hears the message of her husband's death. A storm of grief overcomes her and she goes to her room alone. As she starts to think about her lost marriage "she sees in the open square before her house the tops of trees that are all aquiver with new spring life." She feels everything changes. Everything is lovelier than before she receives the death message. The author's use of imagery in the natural world helps to explain to Mrs. Mallard ...