Ironies in The Story of an Hour

A detailed Summary of Ironies in The Story of an Hour


Kate Chopin employs the tool of irony in "The Story of an Hour" to illustrate the problem relative to marital relationships in which one individual imposes his "private will" upon the other. She presents, through the story of Mrs. Mallard, an issue not socially accepted at the end of the 19th century.

This is the story of Mrs. Mallard, a woman with a heart condition who finds out her husband has died in a train accident. She reacts with sadness at first, but after seeking solitude, realizes that she is free. She is ready to begin her new life when her husband, who was not involved in the train accident, comes home alive. The woman dies from heart failure on the spot.

The purpose of irony in Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" is to convey a message without saying it explicitly. In the context that the story was written, at the end of the 19th century, woman were often not allowed many rights. Their role in society was trifling compared to what men had. Chopin, a feminist ahead of her time, uses irony in this particular story to show the unequal role women had in relationships in the late 1800's. Mrs. Mallard's discovery of her long lost freedom and desire to live for herself only comes after her husband's death. The ironi


In "The Story of an Hour", Chopin makes use of different types of irony. The first type of irony encountered is situational irony, where there is a contrast between what is expected to happen in a particular situation and what actually happens. After grieving with "wild abandonment" the death of her husband, Mrs. Mallard seeks solitude in her room. Now the reader starts to see the world through her eyes, a world full of new and pure life. As she looks out of the window, she sees spring and all the new life it brings. The descriptions used now are far away from death. Mrs. Mallard stares out the "open window" at "the new spring life". As for the weather, instead of being gloomy and dark to symbolize death, she sees "patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds." She also mentions that birds are singing and there is a "delicious breath of rain" in the air, all images not usually associated with death. She is expected to mourn her husband's death, but in contrast, she is thinking about new life. At the end of the story, Chopin uses dramatic irony, where there is a contrast between what the audience knows and what the characters think is happening. "When the doctors came they said she had died of he

Some common words found in the essay are:
Story Chopin, Kate Chopin, Chopin's Story, Brently Mallard, Louise Mallard, Brently Mallard's, Louise Mallard's, Mallard Louise, love husband, Word Count, husband's death, train accident, window spring, 19th century, spring life, louise mallard, irony contrast, story mallard, free free, window spring life,

Approximate Word count = 821
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

join now Save Paper

Related Essays

  • Story of an Hour ... The ending of the story contains two ironies. ... ampquotFreeampquot is another motif. The theme of The Story of an Hour is indeed an irony of fate. ... 1679 words
  • Rose and a Cask ... Whereas dramatic and situational ironies are used to add suspense or humor ... Poes The Cask of Amontillado Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour and William ... 1339 words
  • Irony At Its Best ... The ironies throughout the works of Kate Chopin make each short story very interesting. In Kate Chopinamp39s short story ampquot The Story of an Hourampquot there is much irony ... 435 words
  • Romeo and Juliet ... ampquot Act II, Scene IV, Line 4. All the dramatic ironies caused a ... like Romeo and Juliet where he adds his imagination into the story . ... In half hour she promised ... 6691 words
  • Romeo and Juliet en0 ... ampquot Act II, Scene IV, Line 4. All the dramatic ironies caused a ... like Romeo and Juliet where he adds his imagination into the story . ... In half hour she promised ... 6691 words

Professional Essays

  • The Iliad and The Odyssey ... sake of the entire army: Rouse yourself, if even at this hour youamp39ll ... plays a central role in the telling of the story, the author ... ampquotKleos and Its Ironies in the ... 1945 words
  • Eugene Oamp39Neil Late Plays Existentialism ... This is why ONeill is often taken with the ironies of circumstance ... we see ONeill fashion a story around the Millers, a family whose ... When will my hour come ... 10698 words
  • Management and Labor ... The word quality echoes throughout the Saturn story. ... Saturn workers would not be paid by the hour but would ... However, one of the ironies of a good reputation or ... 7574 words
  • The Russian Empire ampamp Contemporary Russia Contemporary Russia is in ... ... Stavrou, 1969, p. 4. One of the many ironies of late ... The hour of the attack has struck. ... Flight of Eagles: The Story of the American Kosciuszko Squadron in the ... 7876 words


Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

  • "Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
    Jack M.
  • "With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
    Brian P.
  • "I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
    Sara J.
  • "I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
    Rachel W.
  • "I love this site!!!"
    Marie N.
Home Join Now Support
Acceptable Use Policy About us FAQ
All papers are for research and reference purposes only!
© 2002-2009 DirectEssays.com. All Rights Reserved.