Introduction
Among other tales and books, Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” stunned many of her readers in the nineteenth century. Some periodicals initially declined to print the disputed Chopin account. In this short novella, Chopin draws a sharp distinction between what it took to be free for men and women in the 1890s to express her disdain for gender-sex roles and patriarchy (Jassam & Jassam, 2020). As a feminist author, Chopin stood by each of her main characters in their fight against all repressive forces that suppressed women’s voices, made them suffer from obscurity, or even made them seen as unimportant. Thus, Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” critiques the marriage institution in the patriarchal nineteenth-century American society via the wide use of literary devices, such as symbolism, imagery, and irony.
Discussion
While reading “The Story of an Hour”, one cannot fully acknowledge marriage as a burden until Mrs. Mallard, held with monstrous joy, celebrates the documented passing of her husband, Brently Mallard. As its title suggests, the story is constrained to an hour’s time frame (Jassam & Jassam, 2020). A feeble and devout wife is presented with her husband’s name at the novel’s beginning, giving readers a rather stereotyped representation of the perfect 19th-century lady.
While it was taken special care to inform Mrs. Mallard of her husband’s passing as gently as possible, it became known that she had a heart condition. Reading her story makes it clear that Mrs. Mallard is fundamentally defiant and powerful. In the opening sentence, she is described as having a troubled heart, leading one to believe she is an older woman (Chopin,1981). However, Chopin describes her as youthful, with a fair, tranquil face, whose lines betrayed restraint and perhaps even a certain power in the eighth paragraph of her narrative. (Chopin,1981). The loss saddens Mrs. Mallard, but she also realizes that freedom has been established for her for the rest of her life, seeing past the painful times.
She is first devastated by the loss of her husband, but she soon finds strength as she thinks about the consequences of his passing. Despite being expected to be joyful upon finding her spouse alive, she later passes away from a heart attack. This is a fantastic contrast of circumstances and adds much intrigue to the narrative. Only a small amount of grief stems from his passing, not from having to live without him. She did not appear to have ever loved her spouse.
As one thinks warmly of him, it becomes apparent that she is more likely to feel oppressed by her marriage to him than by Brently. Mrs. Mallard has not specifically recalled any incident that would corroborate the claim that Brently Mallard is her oppressor; rather, she seems to believe that marriage is the oppressive force that robs people of their individuality and sense of self (Chopin,1981). As the story continues, these conclusions are made and explored. In the years to come, she would live for herself because no one would be there to support her. No strong will could withstand hers in that irrational perseverance with which people believe. She would not be subject to the strong will that blindly persists in believing it is their right to force their own will on another species. However, her short period of freedom ends when her husband, who was mistakenly pronounced dead, returns home. The crash of Mrs. Mallard’s dreams and plans regarding her future and independence was painful and traumatizing enough that she had a heart attack and passed away.
Conclusion
Overall, in “The Story of an Hour”, Kate Chopin contrasts what it needed for men and women to show their disgust for patriarchy and gender-sex norms in the 1890s. Using literary techniques like symbolism, imagery, and irony, it criticizes the institution of marriage in the patriarchal nineteenth-century American culture. Despite being presented as a weak and pious woman, Mrs. Mallard is genuinely strong and combative when reading her narrative. Her initial shock at losing her spouse gives way to strength as she considers the effects of his departure.
References
Chopin, K. (1981). The story of an hour. Jimcin Recordings.
Jassam, A. H., & Jassam, H. H. (2020). Kate Chopin’s The Story Of An Hour: A feminist discourse of a married woman reclaiming her lost female identity. Social Sciences International Research Journal, 6(1), 1-5.