Finding Reasons - The Story of an Hour - Essay Example

As Berkove mentioned, the story was first published in Vogue Magazine in 1894 (158), a time when women were still perceived as “housekeepers”, associated to the home rather than the modern liberal women who have the freedom to compete for a job with men. This was a time when women who expressed themselves freely, do a man’s job, hold offices or work along with men, were considered taboo. With such information, one would understand that the story reflects the very culture described above and would comprehend more clearly the symbolisms and statements used in the story.

In the case of Berkove’s article entitled Fatal Self-assertion in Kate Chopin’s “The story of an Hour”, the tone of the writer in his analysis seems to be seen through the eyes of one looking at modern times. This could be fatal as there are norms and mores that could really affect the mentality, actions and perceptions of people from different ages, cultures, beliefs and education. For instance, he concludes that the story is not about society or marriage but about Louise Mallard (berkove, 153).

Sure, the story is about the protagonist nevertheless, she represents some, if not most of the women during that time. Since men were considered to be the breadwinners, they were expected to go out and work while women stayed in the home to do the household chores and attend to the needs of the men. This was the general concept of men and women’s roles and Brently and Louise Mallard conformed to such norms as a couple. Louise however was a woman who did not agree with such patriarchal practices as expressed in her strongly made up mind that “There would be no powerful will bending hers in