A Womans Aspiration For Freedom
In "The Story Of An Hour," a short story written by Kate Chopin, the desire for independence from male domination was illustrated. This theme represents a common sentiment from oppressed women in the nineteenth century. Louise Mallard, the protagonist, reveals her true feelings about her marriage to Brently Mallard. After hearing the news of her husband's death, Louise weeps not for her loss, but for her freedom. Through the context of the story and the use of symbolism, Chopin helps us understand why the feelings of bitterness and longing for freedom are present. Louise Mallard symbolizes the mind frame of females during the time of liberation. Louise and Brently Mallard had a very traditional marriage in which she was the one staying at home and doing all the household chores, while he was going on business trips. She played the role of a loving, traditional, young housewife. After seeing her husband travel, she too wanted to go and have her own adventure. Since women were not permitted to do what men were doing at the time this story took place, Louise was jealous of her husband. Soon her love for him became bitter and she eventually despised
According to Chopin, Louise is happy to have looked past beyond the unhappy days of her married life and to her eternal liberty as a new woman. She knew she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death; the face that never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead. But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome. (13) After seeing her husband, Louise immediately dies. She dies because she realizes that since he is not dead, she will not be free. But, according to the doctor, he said, "she had died of heart disease- of joy that kills"(22). In the eyes of everyone around her, Louise seemed like an ailing woman who was terribly brokenhearted after her husband's death. She does not die from the "joy that kills," but because she is heartbroken and shocked at the reality. Her freedom has been taken away now and she does not want to be a traditional housewife again. Hearing the news of her husband's death in a railroad accident, Louise Mallard, who had heart trouble, isolates herself
Some common words found in the essay are:
Louise Mallard, Brently Mallard, Chopin Louise, Louise Louise, Kate Chopin, Chopin's Story, , husband's death, louise mallard, brently mallard, spring day, hearing husband's, nineteenth century, seeing husband, traditional housewife, hearing husband's death,
Approximate Word count = 782
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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