Story of an Hour
Story of an Hour Symbolism
Throughout history, an author’s use of style, structure, and word selections can allow a reader to decipher the underlying message in a story, novel, or a poem. One author who utilizes a certain style to convey the meaning behind her story is Kate Chopin who wrote the short story called Story of an Hour. In her famous short story, Story of an Hour, Chopin successfully implements the use of symbolism to accurately show Louise’s emotions toward her husband through the usage of Louise’s reaction to Brently’s death, the window in her room, and her heart condition.
The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin details the experience of a wife losing her husband. In the beginning of the short story the reader is informed that Louise suffers from a heart condition and soon finds out that her husband, Brently, had been killed in a railroad disaster. Louise’s reaction to her husbands’ death begins to illustrate to the reader of an underlying unhappiness with her marriage. While many other women would be in utter shock and overwhelmed with numbness from the news, Louise merely cries in response to Brently’s death. However, these cries do not emerge from her emotions and love for Brently, but only as physical response of losing someone she knew.
Louise’s dissatisfaction is further portrayed when she demands to be left alone in her room after being told the news of Brently. It is here when she looks out the window of her house and begins to view things in a different perspective. All of the symbols she views from outside her window demonstrate her new sense of independence which include the blue sky, smells of upcoming rain, fluffy clouds, and songs performed by people on the street and the birds in the trees that begin to show new springs of life. When Louise looks out the window she begins to feel a sense of jubilation about new life and the possibilities that lay ahead of her in the future. Not only does she fantasize about these new opportunities,
Throughout history, an author’s use of style, structure, and word selections can allow a reader to decipher the underlying message in a story, novel, or a poem. One author who utilizes a certain style to convey the meaning behind her story is Kate Chopin who wrote the short story called Story of an Hour. In her famous short story, Story of an Hour, Chopin successfully implements the use of symbolism to accurately show Louise’s emotions toward her husband through the usage of Louise’s reaction to Brently’s death, the window in her room, and her heart condition.
The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin details the experience of a wife losing her husband. In the beginning of the short story the reader is informed that Louise suffers from a heart condition and soon finds out that her husband, Brently, had been killed in a railroad disaster. Louise’s reaction to her husbands’ death begins to illustrate to the reader of an underlying unhappiness with her marriage. While many other women would be in utter shock and overwhelmed with numbness from the news, Louise merely cries in response to Brently’s death. However, these cries do not emerge from her emotions and love for Brently, but only as physical response of losing someone she knew.
Louise’s dissatisfaction is further portrayed when she demands to be left alone in her room after being told the news of Brently. It is here when she looks out the window of her house and begins to view things in a different perspective. All of the symbols she views from outside her window demonstrate her new sense of independence which include the blue sky, smells of upcoming rain, fluffy clouds, and songs performed by people on the street and the birds in the trees that begin to show new springs of life. When Louise looks out the window she begins to feel a sense of jubilation about new life and the possibilities that lay ahead of her in the future. Not only does she fantasize about these new opportunities,