Diction In The Story Of An Hour
Diction in Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” presents us with a satiric view on marriage, shifting tones, and a plot focused on Mrs. Mallard who experiences rapid character progression. The story occurs in a chronological pattern, with short paragraphs to fasten the pace of the plot.
We are first presented with the knowledge that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with heart trouble, leading us to speculate whether the trouble was caused by mental stress or if it was a hereditary problem. The heart is widely interpreted as a symbol of love, and by her possessing a heart ailment it can be suggested that Mrs. Mallard’s was not satisfied with her marriage for unknown reasons.
In the second paragraph of the story, the author states “It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing…. He had only taken the time to assure himself of its truth by a second telegram, and had hastened to forestall any less careful, less tender friend in bearing the sad message” (Scholes 73). The author emphasized through repetition that both Mrs. Mallard’s friend and sister took extreme caution in presenting the news of her husband’s death, depicting a bleak tone to the text. …show more content…
Mallard, she did not express a typical reaction; “she did not hear the story as many have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance. She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment…” (Scholes 73). This sentence compares two reactions to similar situations, which can be considered juxtaposition, encouraging us to question the differences she possesses from different housewives of her era. Despite this, she reacts with a pronounced grief, which further emphasizes the disheartening
We are first presented with the knowledge that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with heart trouble, leading us to speculate whether the trouble was caused by mental stress or if it was a hereditary problem. The heart is widely interpreted as a symbol of love, and by her possessing a heart ailment it can be suggested that Mrs. Mallard’s was not satisfied with her marriage for unknown reasons.
In the second paragraph of the story, the author states “It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing…. He had only taken the time to assure himself of its truth by a second telegram, and had hastened to forestall any less careful, less tender friend in bearing the sad message” (Scholes 73). The author emphasized through repetition that both Mrs. Mallard’s friend and sister took extreme caution in presenting the news of her husband’s death, depicting a bleak tone to the text. …show more content…
Mallard, she did not express a typical reaction; “she did not hear the story as many have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance. She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment…” (Scholes 73). This sentence compares two reactions to similar situations, which can be considered juxtaposition, encouraging us to question the differences she possesses from different housewives of her era. Despite this, she reacts with a pronounced grief, which further emphasizes the disheartening