The Story of an Hour

A detailed Summary of The Story of an Hour


The theme in Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" suggests that in certain situations, the death of a loved one may be a good thing. In Chopin's story although the circumstances might lead the reader to believe that Mrs. Mallard's husband's death would cause her great pain, ironically, when she hears the news, she feels a great sense of relief. This suggests that death may not always cause pain. This idea is revealed through character, symbol, and conflict.

Chopin uses character to show that at first death may seem like a horrible event, but actually it can turn into a wonderful one. One of Mrs. Mallard's characteristics is her youth. The author describes her as feeling "young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength" (574). This characteristic is important because it is symbolic of a fresh, new start at her life of freedom due to the death of her husband. Another characteristic of Mrs. Mallard, which also adds to the irony of this story, i


Chopin's use of symbols shows that death can bring happiness rather than sadness through gaining a sense of freedom. "The tops of trees that were all aquiver with a new spring life" (574) symbolizes a new beginning of her life. Mrs. Mallard believes that her new life will bring happiness and freedom. A second symbol is the "open window" (574) that she sits in front of in her bedroom. The window suggests that there is nothing standing in the way of her new life. There is a clear road between her life of imprisonment and her life of independence. Her husband was the only person holding her back, but now that he's gone, she's able to look forward to the future when she can live her life for herself.

s her passion for living. She mentions that she will weep again when she is present at her husband's funeral, but she is able to look past that depressing moment and look forward to the "years to come that would belong to her absolutely." (574).

Kate Chopin's theme of this story is shown

Some common words found in the essay are:
Chopin's Story, Josephine Mallard, Kate Chopin's, character symbol, fresh start life, character symbol conflict, appearance versus reality, death cause pain, , death cause, start life, symbol conflict, fresh start, cause pain, sense freedom, bring happiness, conflict story, life freedom,

Approximate Word count = 674
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

join now Save Paper

Related Essays

  • Story of an Hour 2 ampquotStory of an Hourampquot When I read Kate Chopinamp39s, ampquotStory of an Hourampquot I am reminded of a Edgar Allan Poe horror poems. The narrator has ... 1153 words
  • Story On An Hour When I read Kate Chopinamp39s, ampquotStory of an Hourampquot I am reminded of a Edgar Allan Poe horror poems. The narrator has a ampquotdivine transformationampquot yet it kills her. ... 1088 words
  • Story of An Hour Irony in ampquotThe Story of an Hourampquot In ampquotThe Story of an Hour,ampquot Kate Chopin uses a single hour in the main character, Mrs. Mallardamp39s life, to reveal a series of ... 527 words
  • Story of an Hour Story of an Hour: Seen but Not Heard...Women in the Victorian Age In an age where bustles, petticoats, and veils stifled women physically, it is not surprising ... 721 words
  • Story of an Hour In the short stories, Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin and Samuel by Grace Paley, there were several similarities such as each story was written the way the ... 585 words
  • Story of an Hour The imagery used in ampquotStory of an Hourampquot by Kate Chopin, provokes thoughts and senses in ways that allow the reader to imagine what they perceive to be occurring ... 569 words

Professional Essays

  • ampquotThe Story of An Hourampquot Kate Chopin, in her story ampquotThe Story of An Hour,ampquot explores an hour in the life of a woman who has led her life according to what her husband expected of her. ... 1441 words
  • The Story of an Hour ampquotThe Story of an Hourampquot by Kate Chopin Kate Chopin in ampquotThe Story of an Hourampquot tells of the way one woman responds to the reported death of her husband in a train ... 2043 words
  • The Story of an Hour ampamp Shiloh 56646 The Story of an Hour ampamp Shiloh Introduction Louise Mallard in The Story of an Hour and Norma Jean in Shiloh are both victims of a male dominated ... 478 words
  • The Story of an Hour ampamp Shiloh The Story of an Hour ampamp Shiloh Introduction Louise Mallard in The Story of an Hour and Norma Jean in Shiloh are both victims of a male dominated patriarchal ... 478 words
  • The Story of An Hour ampamp The Necklace Mathilde Loisel in Guy de Maupassantamp39s story ampquotThe Necklaceampquot and Louise Mallard in Kate Chopinamp39s story ampquotThe Story of An Hourampquot are women who lead their lives ... 1670 words
  • ampquotThe Story of an Hourampquot by Kate Chopin ampquotThe Story of an Hourampquot by Kate Chopin Kate Chopin in ampquotThe Story of an Hourampquot tells of the way one woman responds to the reported death of her husband in a train ... 2105 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.