Analysis Of The Awakening, By Kate Chopin

Kate Chopin lived and died at a time of great social revolution. Surrounding her life was the women’s rights movement. Many female writers during this time discussed their qualms with society through entertaining pieces of fiction. Chopin’s The Awakening is an example of this form of writing; the book is about a woman who seeks sexual fulfillment outside of marriage. Her “The Story of an Hour” is another of her societal analysis pieces. In “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin reveals her beliefs about her society with an allegorical narrative that clearly juxtaposes the concepts of freedom and oppression. The story begins with the death of Mrs. Mallard’s husband, Brently. Her response to his demise is total distress. She has a knee-jerk negative reaction to the event. “She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms” (para. 3) probably because that is what she is expected to do, and up to this point, she has only ever done what was expected of her. The reader also has to consider that Brently had “never looked save with love upon her.” (para. 13) While one should consider their spousal love, ultimately it seems that the real reason for Louise Mallard’s grief is the sudden change in her life. Brently, for Mrs. Mallard, is very much a symbol of
Her story serves to criticize the treatment of women at the turn of the twentieth century; it is filled with symbolism that exposes her views on the subject of women’s rights. Mrs. Mallard embodies the typical woman of the of the late-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, complete with all the struggles and joys, and presents the reader with a deep understanding of the psychological impact of this type of oppression. Chopin’s story shines light on an important issue of the times and gives a modern reader a glimpse into the obstacles faced by women for the past one hundred