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Essay Available:
Pages:
11 pages/≈3025 words
Sources:
6 Sources
Style:
MLA
Subject:
Literature & Language
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
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MS Word
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Topic:

literary criticism of the 'Story of an hour'

Essay Instructions:
****Please see attached instruction **** Thesis that I considered: (can change if writer wants) The author Kate Chopin describes how character in \\\"The story of an hour\\\", Louise Mallard, discovers personal freedom while she sits alone in her room, after having heard of her husband\\\'s death then her emotional \\\"storm\\\" has subsided. It is a story of how a woman deals with marital oppression in the late Victorian American society of the 19th century.
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Literary Criticism of ‘The Story of an Hour`
Outline
This paper is a literary criticism of Kate Chopin`s ‘Story of the Hour`. This story has a central character Mrs Mallard, who over the course of an hour, transforms. Mrs Mallard is confronted with the news that her husband has passed away in a railway accident. Mrs Mallard lets go of her grief with abandon and it becomes her catharsis and she starts accepting her fate as a widow uncharacteristically easily for the times.
The story has been analysed in accordance with the historical perspective which were tough times for women, and women were confined to a certain role that they had to play in society. Women were expected to submit to the wills and the wishes of their family and of the society. Widowhood was a way to get to a position in society by getting a legal position through marriage, and once the husband was dead, the woman could live according to her will.
This paper also looks at the story from a feminist perspective as well as a psychological perspective and elevates the story from being a mere short story to a clue into the lives of women at the time.
Introduction
Victorian society has been known for being conservatism, and females in that society were mainly confined to their homes, and were completely dependent on their husbands financially, as well as otherwise.
The short story by Kate Chopin - "The story of an hour", is a description of how Louise Mallard, discovers personal freedom while she sits alone in her room, after having heard of her husband's death then her emotional "storm" has subsided. It is a story of how a woman deals with marital oppression in the late Victorian American society of the 19th century.
Synopsis of the Story
The story begins with the news of the death of Brently Mallard, who has been in a rail accident. Mallard`s friend Richards hears about the news and rushed to his dead friend`s wife in order to tell her about the news. The story indicates at the onset that Mrs. Mallard is a heart patient, and that Richards, aware of this fact, does not want anyone else to break the news to her. Mrs Mallard cries immediately, after which she retires to her room, and reflects upon the significance of this new development. In her self-reflection, she comes to realize that life has started anew for her, and that the death of her husband is not the end of her life.
She wishes that her life should be long so that she can enjoy the status of freedom that comes from having no one to live for. In being a widow she would be able to do everything and anything that she pleased without having to listen to another soul.
Her new sense of self and freedom is short-lived because as she descends the stairs with her sister, who has broken the news to her, she finds that her husband is aliv...
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