In "The Story of an Hour," a short story by Kate Chopin, a young lady is confronted with the news that her husband, who was at the top of a list of reported deaths, had been killed in a train crash. Chopin's narrative depicts the moment of her liberation as a result of this sad catastrophe.
If you've ever heard the expression, "carpe diem," which means "seize the day," you'll recognise this story's central subject. repression and oppression are two of the main topics of this novel. A woman's role in the home and in raising children was seen as essential in late nineteenth-century culture. Mrs Mallard's husband appears to have been in command of his wife in this brief novella. According to Jamil, women are not supposed to "self-assert" (216). "The patriarchy of the period enforced the entire dependency of ladies on husbands, making marriage a sort of servitude," she adds. " (Jamil, 216). In addition, Mrs Mallard appears to have lacked the ambition to be in charge of her own future. As the first phase of the report stated, her "heart issue" may have been caused by the frequent stress she endured as a result of her marriage to Mr Mallard. It is not Mrs Mallard's heart issue that the other characters in the novel believe, but rather an indication of a lady who has unknowingly sold her heart to the paternalistic culture, as Chopin indicates" (216). Symbolism, irony, similes, and personification are just a few of the literary words that one may have observed along with the topic.
One may easily identify a symbol in most of the lengthy paragraphs of this short narrative due to its heavy usage of symbolism. "She could see in the wide square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the fresh spring life," writes Kate Chopin in paragraph five. It seemed like rain was on the way— and a thousand sparrows were chirping under the eaves" (Chopin, 1). On page 217, Jamil stated:
Louise's attention is drawn to these items because they generate excitement and optimism in her. "[S]he felt it crawling out of the sky, reaching for her via the noises, aromas and colour that filled the air," she says (Chopin, 1). When she's aroused, she sees the world as a place where she's free, and that's what fills her up. Louise's sensitivity, reactivity, and awareness may be seen in the presence of emotion."
In paragraph five, the author explains that this all happened in the spring. Mrs Mallard is excited about the prospect of a brand-new chapter in her life. There were splotches of blue sky visible here and there amidst the clouds that had gathered and piled on top of one another in the west facing her window, as Katie Chopin describes in paragraph six (Chopin, 1). A shift in the protagonist's life seemed to occur as a result of the statement in paragraph six that claims that there were patches of blue sky.
This short narrative used several metaphors and similes. "There was a...of triumph," for example, plainly defines a simile (Chopin, 2). According to Jamil, "Louise breaks the chains of patriarchal culture when she realises she can 'live for herself,' rather than living the life that her husband sanctions for her" (219). When her spouse died, this is how she overcame his sadness. Chopin may have used this analogy to describe a woman's realisation that she may lead the life she desires.
The irony was a literary phrase that made an appearance in the novel. The story's title, "The Story of an Hour," was ironic in and of itself. Despite the fact that the title implies that the narrative took place within an hour, Kate Chopin made it feel like it lasted for several days. It's amusing because Mrs. Mallard just needed an hour to realise she didn't need her husband any more to be happy or to live her life to the fullest. However, for another wife, it might take several years to properly heal from the loss of a spouse. In line twenty-three, Katie Chopin writes that "pleasure that kills" is the most ironic irony in the novel (Chopin, 2). She refuses to give up her delight, as the patriarchy would expect her to do when Brently returns, as Louise is the joy that she refuses to sacrifice. Louise does, however, experience true delight for a little moment in time. (220) Because the physicians assumed that Mrs. Mallard was relieved to see her husband still alive and well, this sarcastic phrase at the story's conclusion makes sense. Because of Mrs. Mallard's fate, the denouement was somewhat ironic. She died in the end of the story, which was a rising motion throughout the complete tale The author made it appear like Mrs. Mallard had a lot to live for, but when Mrs. Mallard saw her husband, alive, there was nothing to live for.
Foreshadowing may be seen in the opening sentence of the short narrative. First of all, "Knowing Mrs. Mallard was suffering with a heart issue, considerable care was taken to deliver the news to her as gently as possible" (Chopin, 1). It's possible that Mrs. Mallard's heart issue has anything to do with the story's final result. The story's finale is more plausible because of the story's opening phrase. The ending would have seemed implausible and phoney if the heart ailment hadn't been mentioned at the beginning of the story.
The health of Mrs. Mallard's heart is crucial to the plot. If Mrs. Mallard had a heart ailment as a result of her poor standing in a male-dominated society, the reader may have realised this as the narrative began. Examples include Chopin's description of the young woman's face as "bespoke repression" (Chopin, 1) and the author's assertion that "a tremendous will" was "bending" Mrs. Mallard in paragraphs eight and fourteen (Chopin, 2). On the other hand, "often she had not" been in love with her husband, according to Chopin in line 15. (Chopin, 2). Jamil believes this.
As a staunch defender of patriarchal culture, Louise realises that she will never be able to turn back the clock and return to the shackles of her previous existence when she sees her husband. " (219-220). In your opinion, did she get a heart condition out of the blue or was it caused by the strain of her marriage?
Another question I have is why the author waited so long to reveal the protagonist's name? The protagonist's first name, Louise, is revealed to the reader in paragraph sixteen of the short tale. Because she didn't give the young woman's name, the reader may conclude that the author was trying to imply that she lacked uniqueness and identity. When she was alone in her chamber, grieving over the loss of her spouse, she regained her sense of self. It is in that one hour, then, that Louise perceives and forms a new identity with her freshly awakened faculties of emotions," Jamil writes (219). Josephine, her younger sister, yells, "Louise, open the door!" at just this precise moment in time. Mrs. Mallard's new name is Louise, which is the feminine version of Louis, thus even though she has changed her gender, she still has a masculine identity.
In the end, one may conclude that Chopin's little novella sent a powerful message. The moral of the story is to "enjoy every moment while you still have it." Because Mrs Mallard looked to be living under limits that worried her, one could believe that this is a terrific motto to live by. Mrs. Mallard had no idea how precious her independence and sense of self were until it was too late. "Louise does see significance and fulfilment for one hour of feeling," says Jamil (220). The literary phrases, symbolism, similes, and irony utilised by Chopin in this short narrative helped the reader understand and appreciate its significance.
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