A Wagner Matinee Analysis

In the short stories, "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin and "A Wagner Matinee" by Willa Cather a similar theme is portrayed about women’s role. Both stories include the main female role giving up something of great significance in her life. For instance, in "The Story of an Hour", Mrs. Mallard gives up her freedom when marrying her husband. In the same manner, in "A Wagner Matinee", Aunt Georgiana gave up her passion and love for music by eloping and moving to Nebraska. Here she would spend her life music less and wearisome. With both decisions later came regret. For Aunt Georgiana, finally after 30 years of hardship hearing the Matinee and grasping the idea of going back to her hardship was overwhelming. The idea of once again leaving her passion was unimaginable, she even bursts
For example, Aunt Georgiana’s life was based on music, from teaching Clark how to play the piano to teaching at the Boston Conservatory. However, when she eloped and moved to Nebraska music was erased from her life. Thus, when hearing the orchestra after thirty years a flow of emotions arose in her, causing her to realize that she did not have the strength to leave music behind one more time(pg.661). Similarly, Mrs. Mallard when being married did not see how oppressed she had been. However when her husband “died”, she was able to realize all the possibilities she had in life being a widow. Soon after her realization of freedom, it was quickly taken away from her. Even though Mrs. Mallard had only felt and relied on this freedom for a short period, a life without it was imaginable. Thus, her husband still being alive made her realize that her freedom was being taken away (pg.632). She ironically then dies of a broken heart not because of her husband presence was too much for her disease but because she no longer had her newfound