Point Of View In The Story Of An Hour

Characterization is often a key aspect in theme interpretation, however, characterization is largely dependent on point of view as to how successful it is in illustrating the theme and allowing the audience to understand the theme. Point of view is able to enhance and improve characterization which in turn is able to clarify and create the theme. In The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, the ability to understand the theme lied heavily on the point of view and its interaction with characterization. Throughout this story the point of view changed between first person limited and and first person limited omniscient. In using first person limited omniscient point of view during various parts of the story the audience was able to understand the protagonist’s
Due to the point of view the audience was exposed to the protagonist’s thoughts and inner feelings which otherwise one would not have been aware of. The inner thoughts and feelings depicted to the audience that the protagonist of the story was not sad about her husbands death, but in fact she was happy since she had been oppressed throughout her marriage. The earlier quote illustrates the importance of point of view in this story, specifically third person limited omniscient as it allowed the audience to understand that the protagonist was in fact happy that her husband was dead. The quote demonstrates that the other character in the story were unaware of this as they believe that when she learned her husband was alive she dies of joy, however, in using third person limited omniscient point of view the audience was able to learn that she in fact died of sadness and shock when she herd this news. If only third person limited point of view had been used in the story then one would know very little about the protagonist, and thus making the theme unapparent, thereby illustrating the importance of point of view in enhancing characterization which is then able to assist in creating and clarifying the theme