Two main themes that have come up through the researching of The Story of an Hour, by Kate Chopin are female self-assertion and female liberation. This story was published in 1894 when women who sought out independence were not regarded very highly. Women in this era were raised to view marriage as a sacred institution not something that anyone should take lightly. Men in this time had all the legal rights to the children and to the couples property. Women were not even allowed to vote yet. Thus a female writing a story about a woman that seess happiness in the thought of her husbands passing was not received well. Even though at the end of this story the character pays for her elation of her husbands passing with her life it is not enough for this story to have a good following when it was first written.
Although The Story of an Hour is brief it contains a lot of thought and a bigger message than one might originally think. In the beginning of the story it opens with Mrs. Mallard and the narrator mentions that she has heart trouble. In a quick reading one might believe that she suffers from some sort of heart disease. Chopin makes it known with her phrasing that Mrs. Mallard has a problem with her heart in the way that it works. When Mrs. Mallard is warmed and relaxed it is known that the heart trouble that Mrs. Mallard has is because she has not been able to live for herself. Mrs. Mallard like all other women in this era have lived for their husbands and their families. They were only allowed to acquire dreams of becoming a wife and a mother. They were not allowed to aspire to anything more or at least it was not looked upon in a good manner.
Another way that Chopin is getting her message across in her narration is the way she has Mrs. Mallard reacting to the news that her husband has died. She did not hear the story as many women would have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance. Most readers would stop and ponder why she didnt have a stronger reaction to her news. Why Mrs. Mallard didnt have very much grief from hearing that her husband had just been killed. Mrs. Mallard didnt sit wondering how she would go on now that her husband of many years was gone. Then a few lines later we see Mrs. Mallard uncontrollably crying for her lost husband. This is somewhat confusing because why would a woman who is unhappy in her marriage react this way. One would think that if she is truly unhappy that she would be somewhat relieved that her husband is gone. Chopin hints at the fact that Mrs. Mallard is not paralyzed at the thought of being alone. The narrator states that Mrs. Mallard would have no one follow her. At first one thinks that she means that she will no longer have anyone to follow her to her room, but after reading the story one may conclude that what is meant is that Mrs. Mallard will no longer have any one interfere with her life again.
The setting in which the story takes place is relatively simple but its completely representative of how Mrs. Mallard is feeling. When Mrs. Mallard is told that her husband has died she is told some place within her house. Her feeling of freedom comes over her in her bedroom. Mrs. Mallards comfortable, roomy armchair where she sits looking out her window with her head thrown back upon the cushion this shows a sign of peace and relaxation. We can see the top of trees and the new signs of spring life outside her bedroom window. We can hear and smell all the things coming in from that window. All of these things are not things that are normal for a grieving widow to be noticing. She has a sense of freedom for the first time in her life. She doesnt have to answer to anyone except herself. The whole world has opened up for her to do what she wants with it. Chopin throughout the story questions the institution of marriage and whether or not women need to give up themselves entirely when they become someones wife. Chopin mainly grew up in a female dominated environment thus making her a strong woman able to stand up for herself and be her own individual. She had a happy marriage but it didnt cause her to have to give up her own individualism.
For women today and a century ago there arent too many differences. Women in the 1800s had a lot that was up against them in terms of being a stand up, independent woman. This attribute was not something that was encouraged. Women were not seen as people with any significance in terms of having any power over their own lives. Men were in control of everything. Today women have a lot more opportunities, but there are still many obstacles to over come in order to be treated or viewed in an equal light as a man. Women do not have to live entirely for her family. She can get married and have children but still be able to pursue her own dreams and desires. There is however still today a stigmatism that if a woman chooses to live her life alone and not get married she may be viewed as an old maid or something of that nature. Women do have some pressures still placed upon them in terms of getting married and having children but it has lightened up significantly since the time when Kate Chopin wrote The Story of an Hour.
References
Chopin, K. (1990). The Story of an Hour. In The Worlds Best Short Stories: Anthology and Criticism, 3(pg. 296). Great Neck, NY: Roth Publishing, INC.
Reuben, P. Chapter 6: Late Nineteenth Century- Kate Chopin. PAL: Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide. URL:http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap6/chopin.html.
Retrieved May 2, 2009.
Already have an account? Log In Now
5824