Story Of An Hour Literary Analysis
In the “Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin establishes the theme of freedom and confinement. The author focuses on Mrs. Mallard’s tragic hour of trying to find her own individuality. Chopin employs various symbols conveying them to the themes of freedom and confinement. Mrs. Mallard, who has a weak heart, lives a secluded life, maybe a boring one until one day. In one afternoon, Mrs. Mallard receives news about Mr. Mallard’s death. From this moment, she goes through emotions that question her marriage and her newfound freedom. But when her husband returns home, Louise is having a shock. She dies of joy. Kate Chopin use symbols such as the heart troubles, the armchair, and the patches of blue sky to establish the themes of freedom and confinement.
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The first symbol that is evident at the beginning of the story is Mrs.
Mallard’s heart troubles. The symbol of heart trouble reveals the fact that Mrs. Mallard’s confinement comes from this weakness. As Chopin implies, Louise’s “heart trouble” (Chopin) is not as much a medical problem as it is an emotional problem. Once Josephine told her of Mr. Mallard’s death, the author states “she wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms.” (Chopin). The heart trouble that Mrs. Mallard is having symbolizes the oppressed life she is leading and how the powerful will of Mr. Mallard that covers up her identity. As author Jamil states “The physiological aspect of Mrs. Mallard’s heart ailment appears to be, then, a result of the psychological burden of allowing another individual’s (i.e., her husband’s) “powerful will” to smother and silence her own will” (Jamil 216). Therefore, the symbol of heart troubles represents emotional and physical confinement of Mrs. Mallard. The unhappy marriage has a negative impact on her heart. The idea of seclusion or as Chopin says the “abandonment’ is developed in the symbol of the
armchair.
The roomy armchair represents both confinement and freedom. When Mrs. Mallard comes into her room, “into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul”(Chopin). First, the roomy armchair is the symbol of Mrs. Mallard’s confinement, because Chopin mentions that she sits in a comfortable armchair. This thing means that Louise spends her time thinking about her life for hours. Mrs. Mallard comes to sit in her armchair in the most tragic moment of her life, which is the news of her husband’s death. Second, the armchair represents Mrs. Mallard’s newfound freedom. The armchair represents how oppressed Mrs. Mallard’s life is and how it stops at this particular point and starts to form a new life, which is a free one. Ironically, the family expects her to grieve over her husband’s death, while Mrs. Mallard dreams of a new life without her husband. Since Mrs. Mallard’s husband has passed away, she is free from the oppression. One thing that is very interesting is how the armchair is “facing the open window”. This means that Mrs. Mallard has a new life ahead of her and the oppression and her marriage is now behind her. The armchair clearly, represents both the freedom and the oppressed marriage of Mrs. Mallard.
The idea of freedom and liberation from confinement is found in the symbol of the open window. The window in which Mrs. Mallard looks out represents the new life, freedom, and the opportunities that lie ahead of her. Mrs. Mallard sees from the window blue skies, clouds and trees. She hears birds singing and she smells the coming storm that is on the horizon. Mrs. Mallard looks at the “open square” and sees nature blossoming (Chopin). What she experiences through her senses represents joy and the spring of her new life. The window represents a clear, bright view into Mrs. Mallard’s new life and it also shows a view that is not blocked, which represents that she does not have to give into the demands of another person meaning Mr. Mallard. A great example of this is when a window is opened in a house to let the old, stale air out to let the new crisp air in. This is exactly what Mrs. Mallard is doing; she is getting rid of the old and in with the new. She is putting her old oppressed life behind her and opening the window to let the new air flow in and look to the horizon for a brighter future. Therefore, the open window symbolizes Mrs. Mallard’s confinement as well as her new found freedom.
When Chopin speaks of “patches of blue sky showing” the cloudy sky represents Mr. Mallards death (Chopin). The cloudy sky represents the relationship of Brently and Louise. The patches of blue sky represent the new life that is ahead of Mrs. Mallard and also, the freedom that comes with it. As author Daniel Deneau states “This “something,” this “it,” which oddly arrives from the sky, exerts a powerful physical influence on Louise and leaves her with a totally new perspective on her self and her place in the scheme of things.”(Deneau 211). Chopin points out that Louise has a transformation, while she observes nature “She felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air.” (Chopin). The “it” that passes from nature to Louise’s soul is the perception of freedom (Jamil 4). What is reaching toward her is the freedom and the new life she is desiring and a life free of oppression and expectations of society. The patches of blue sky reveal the desire of Mrs. Mallard to be free, but also, it shows the slim chances that it will happen.
In conclusion, the four symbols of heart troubles, the open window, the armchair, and the patches of blue sky represent the theme of freedom and confinement. Mrs. Mallard desires freedom because she has a life without love. The confinement because of her sickness and unhappy marriage is altered when the news of Mr. Mallard comes to Louise, but she is not destined to be free.
The first symbol that is evident at the beginning of the story is Mrs.
Mallard’s heart troubles. The symbol of heart trouble reveals the fact that Mrs. Mallard’s confinement comes from this weakness. As Chopin implies, Louise’s “heart trouble” (Chopin) is not as much a medical problem as it is an emotional problem. Once Josephine told her of Mr. Mallard’s death, the author states “she wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms.” (Chopin). The heart trouble that Mrs. Mallard is having symbolizes the oppressed life she is leading and how the powerful will of Mr. Mallard that covers up her identity. As author Jamil states “The physiological aspect of Mrs. Mallard’s heart ailment appears to be, then, a result of the psychological burden of allowing another individual’s (i.e., her husband’s) “powerful will” to smother and silence her own will” (Jamil 216). Therefore, the symbol of heart troubles represents emotional and physical confinement of Mrs. Mallard. The unhappy marriage has a negative impact on her heart. The idea of seclusion or as Chopin says the “abandonment’ is developed in the symbol of the
armchair.
The roomy armchair represents both confinement and freedom. When Mrs. Mallard comes into her room, “into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul”(Chopin). First, the roomy armchair is the symbol of Mrs. Mallard’s confinement, because Chopin mentions that she sits in a comfortable armchair. This thing means that Louise spends her time thinking about her life for hours. Mrs. Mallard comes to sit in her armchair in the most tragic moment of her life, which is the news of her husband’s death. Second, the armchair represents Mrs. Mallard’s newfound freedom. The armchair represents how oppressed Mrs. Mallard’s life is and how it stops at this particular point and starts to form a new life, which is a free one. Ironically, the family expects her to grieve over her husband’s death, while Mrs. Mallard dreams of a new life without her husband. Since Mrs. Mallard’s husband has passed away, she is free from the oppression. One thing that is very interesting is how the armchair is “facing the open window”. This means that Mrs. Mallard has a new life ahead of her and the oppression and her marriage is now behind her. The armchair clearly, represents both the freedom and the oppressed marriage of Mrs. Mallard.
The idea of freedom and liberation from confinement is found in the symbol of the open window. The window in which Mrs. Mallard looks out represents the new life, freedom, and the opportunities that lie ahead of her. Mrs. Mallard sees from the window blue skies, clouds and trees. She hears birds singing and she smells the coming storm that is on the horizon. Mrs. Mallard looks at the “open square” and sees nature blossoming (Chopin). What she experiences through her senses represents joy and the spring of her new life. The window represents a clear, bright view into Mrs. Mallard’s new life and it also shows a view that is not blocked, which represents that she does not have to give into the demands of another person meaning Mr. Mallard. A great example of this is when a window is opened in a house to let the old, stale air out to let the new crisp air in. This is exactly what Mrs. Mallard is doing; she is getting rid of the old and in with the new. She is putting her old oppressed life behind her and opening the window to let the new air flow in and look to the horizon for a brighter future. Therefore, the open window symbolizes Mrs. Mallard’s confinement as well as her new found freedom.
When Chopin speaks of “patches of blue sky showing” the cloudy sky represents Mr. Mallards death (Chopin). The cloudy sky represents the relationship of Brently and Louise. The patches of blue sky represent the new life that is ahead of Mrs. Mallard and also, the freedom that comes with it. As author Daniel Deneau states “This “something,” this “it,” which oddly arrives from the sky, exerts a powerful physical influence on Louise and leaves her with a totally new perspective on her self and her place in the scheme of things.”(Deneau 211). Chopin points out that Louise has a transformation, while she observes nature “She felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air.” (Chopin). The “it” that passes from nature to Louise’s soul is the perception of freedom (Jamil 4). What is reaching toward her is the freedom and the new life she is desiring and a life free of oppression and expectations of society. The patches of blue sky reveal the desire of Mrs. Mallard to be free, but also, it shows the slim chances that it will happen.
In conclusion, the four symbols of heart troubles, the open window, the armchair, and the patches of blue sky represent the theme of freedom and confinement. Mrs. Mallard desires freedom because she has a life without love. The confinement because of her sickness and unhappy marriage is altered when the news of Mr. Mallard comes to Louise, but she is not destined to be free.