A Story of an Hour Written by Kate Chopin in 1894 - Literature review Example

The short story “Story of an hour” is written by Kate Chopin in 1894 this story was first published in Vogue and at that time the title of this story was “The Dream of an hour” after one month this short story was reprinted by St. Louis. The title of this short story is as important as it realized the fact that the character “Louise Mallard” lives her whole life and felt each moment of happy life in the space of this one hour. In this short story Author describes the emotions of a woman Louise Mallard that how she reacts when she hears the news about her husband’s death in railroad disaster. She locks herself in a room after this horrific news and mourns atthe loss of her husband. Louise Mallard afflicted from severe heart problems that’s why her sister informed Louis about this terrible news in a very firmly and gentle way so that this unexpected bad news doesn’t effect on Louis heart. Author uses several symbols to describe the character in a story and the common term in this story is metaphors. For example in 7th paragraph of this short story, it says “except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams.” (THE SHORT STORY) These lines by writer show the metaphorical attitude of Mrs. Mallard as she felt grief towards her husband’s death because she was acting like a child; if she was serious about his death she would show a disciplined attitude. So Mrs. Mallard wanted to be away from everyone and locked herself in a room and sat alone. Author describes her disciplined attitude but this loneliness effects on Mallard’s mind and become the reason of her death.(ANALYSIS OF THE SYMBOLS) In this short story Kate Chopin uses symbols to describe the emotions of character, the death of loved one effect on her wife. Chopin wants to deliver the message that this could be any creature’s reality like Mrs. Mallard react.Chopin elegantly crafts her point of freedom of will for all creatures into "Story of An Hour" and use symbolism to elaborate Feminine Identity. (CHOPIN IN HER TIM ES) The first symbol which author expressed is “Comfortable Chair” which Mrs. Mallard used after the grief effect. Armchair describe in a story in which Mrs. Mallard sits after locks herself in her room as she felt relax on this “Comfortable” and “roomy” situation. The location of this chair is also very important it placed in front of an open window. Open window is the second symbol; Mrs. Mallard analyze many symbols such as spring effect, birds chirping etc. which implies positive effect on Mrs. Mallard and she feels comfortable in this situation. This symbolizes of open being change the grief in to joy and the fact behind this open shows that someone suggesting her towards a new life rather than the cold of winter which symbolizing the feeling of death. The major objectives “comfortable”, “roomy” and “loving things around her” embraced her and Mrs. Mallard begins to feel an unexpected joy and sense of exhilaration. Through the symbol of an open window and a way to look on this open window by Mrs. Mallard symbolizes her deep thoughts which is a self-discovery and it enhances the story, it also express the feeling of love and warmth. Mrs. Mallard sees many other symbols through this open window like feeling of goodness and this also make interest in readers mind. (ANALYSIS OF THE SYMBOL) Mrs. Mallard sitting beside the open window this is the major symbol of The Story of an Hour. Outside nature also symbolized the love feelings and she sees that birds are chirping and the top of trees that “were all quiver with new spring life” symbolizing that a joy in a life is left behind and a new life comes after winter; she thought something new happen in her life. Author use the line “delicious breath rain”in the air which symbolize that there is calmness after a huge storm and after this darkest hour new life begins. These joyous symbols express the after effects of grief experience of Mrs. Mallard. The moment when Mrs. Mallard hear this horrific news soon after this Mrs. Mallard is feeling that something “creeping out of the sky” that is “too subtle and elusive to name”. By these lines Kate symbolized thatthe dawn of realization is upon Louise that she goes towards the new joyous life that she now is free from Mr. Mallard. Symbols of “the sounds- the scents” and the color outside which delivers the message of new life outdoors and the song someone was singing is a symbol of oncoming feeling of wellness and Louis realize that she is now free from the rules of her husband which are tyrannical for her. “Free! Body and soul Free” these words expressed by her that she believes and feels the benefit of Mallard’s death Author narrates the story like Reader is discovering the character and character Mrs. Mallard is discovering herself. This insight brings that readers gets more closely to the character Mrs. Mallard and the character looks more real. Kate Chopin is doing lot of hard work to achieve meaning of freedom by using symbolism. Author is showing a social situation of the times with the woman as a prisoner of her husband. A major factor of this short story is the characteristics of Mrs. Mallard which is also the theme of the story by writer and Kate also express Mrs. Mallard character in several ways that how Mrs. Mallard can be trapped in arepressive situation, unsatisfying reality because of her another’s thoughtless manipulation and oppression.Through this character writer expresses the feelings and matureness of youth. This is symbolic because Kate describesLouise a young age married girl and she lost her independence because of her husband. Kate Chopin represents her “a fair, calm face” which symbolizes her beauty and innocence. It would seem that her husband Mr. Mallard repressed her and angry on her if she is going against from his rules. And now through this tragic event Mrs. Mallard was feeling freed of her husband’s rule over her and now she is independent and able to go on her life as she want. Readers feels good for Mrs. Mallard and emotionally attach with character in start because Kate Chopin expressed in a loveable way that how Mrs. Mallard love her husband and she had only loved him but more often she irritates from him and now she feels that how in the coming years Mrs. Millard only lives for herself and no one else rule over her. When reader thought deeply on these excerpted symbols it realizes that how Kate Chopin worked on her story to make an interesting story for the readers and to give them a good sense of comfort and wellness while reading this short story. At the end of the story when Mrs. Mallard opens the door while thinking that her sister knocks the door this symbolized the psychological effect on Mrs. Mallard death; if she knows that Mallard is knocking the door to make her happy she will make her love towards him but she shocked to see her husband and someone told that he was not involved in the railroad disaster Mrs. Mallard listen this news and suddenly dies.Doctors analyzed on ambiguous death of Mrs. Mallard that her death is in the range of her known heart problem to psychological factors of her joyous feelings towards the tyrannical ruling life. Work Cited: Chopin, Kate. ""The Story of an Hour"" "The Story of an Hour" N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. Bauer, Margaret. Chopin in Her Times: Critical Essays on Freedom and Feminine Identity. Durham: Duke UP, 1997. "Symbolism in The Story of an Hour." 123HelpMe.com. 10 Dec 2012 . Chopin, Kate. "The Story of An Hour." The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction.Ed. R.V. Cassill and Richard Bausch. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2000. 106-109. Angeline, Michelle. “Consciousness in Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour.’” CLA Journal 16 (November 1994): 59-64. Read More