Female Oppression In Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour
Usually when someone close to you dies it is very upsetting, but what if someone actually dies from a heartache? The short story, “The Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin examines female oppression and emancipation during the nineteenth century. This idea is shown through gender roles, marriage, and power.
During the nineteenth century a woman's job usually consisted of cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. In the story Kate Chopin gives examples of how the main character Mrs. Mallard feels about gender roles. A good example from the story, “There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair, into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach her soul”(Chopin …show more content…
Marriage was also another role women took part in, as they were expected to. Most of the time was so they could have children, and marriage isn’t like that today. People get married today to spend the rest of their lives with their significant other and put a label on it. In the story, the quote “And yet she had loved him sometimes, Often she had not. What did it matter! What could love, the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!”(Chopin 15). During this era, marriage wasn’t always about love. Sometimes it was just to better a man’s life. The main character Mrs. Mallard feels she gave up freedom for someone she isn’t sure she truly loves. The idea of being free, and being able to make her own choices made her realize she didn’t care for her marriage. Marriage usually was good for the men. Another example Chopin uses to describe marriage is, “When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: “free, free, free!” The vacant stare and the look of terror that followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch in her body” (Chopin 11). Mrs. Mallard is a free women! Her life was full of anxiety. When she found out her husband was dead she was free from marriage, and free from her everyday life. She was excited because she saw a new beginning ahead of
During the nineteenth century a woman's job usually consisted of cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. In the story Kate Chopin gives examples of how the main character Mrs. Mallard feels about gender roles. A good example from the story, “There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair, into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach her soul”(Chopin …show more content…
Marriage was also another role women took part in, as they were expected to. Most of the time was so they could have children, and marriage isn’t like that today. People get married today to spend the rest of their lives with their significant other and put a label on it. In the story, the quote “And yet she had loved him sometimes, Often she had not. What did it matter! What could love, the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being!”(Chopin 15). During this era, marriage wasn’t always about love. Sometimes it was just to better a man’s life. The main character Mrs. Mallard feels she gave up freedom for someone she isn’t sure she truly loves. The idea of being free, and being able to make her own choices made her realize she didn’t care for her marriage. Marriage usually was good for the men. Another example Chopin uses to describe marriage is, “When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: “free, free, free!” The vacant stare and the look of terror that followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch in her body” (Chopin 11). Mrs. Mallard is a free women! Her life was full of anxiety. When she found out her husband was dead she was free from marriage, and free from her everyday life. She was excited because she saw a new beginning ahead of