The Story of an Hour
Reading Reflection
Natasha S. King
ENG 125 Introduction to Literature
Professor Demeterius Meyers
October 29, 2012
I chose to reflect on Kate Chopins, “The Story of an Hour” for this assignment. It is about a woman finding out from her sister and friend that her husband was killed in a railroad accident. She initially appears very grief stricken and cries out in her sister’s arms. Not long after she retreats alone to her bedroom. While in her room she realizes that although she loved her husband more often than not she was unhappy. She realizes that she is happy about the fact that she will be able to live a life of happiness for herself. As she goes back out in the living room the front door opens and in walks her husband. It turns out that he was nowhere near the accident and wasn’t even aware that there had been one. The wife has a heart attack and dies. This story initially caught my eye because it started off stating how due to her heart trouble they were trying to break the news of the husband’s death to as easily as possible. It pulled me in because death is an issue that I’m currently dealing with and very sensitive to. Before Mrs. Mallard went into her room by herself she appeared to be a very grief stricken woman, as any would and should be when finding out their husband has been killed in a horrible accident. Upon her going into her room I believe ambiguity set it. Our text describes ambiguity as “use of language that has more than one meaning, creating uncertainty about how to interpret what has been stated”.(Clugston, 2010 Section 1.2) In the story it states, “She said it over and over under her breath: “free, free, free!” For a moment I was confused as to whether this was a good or a bad thing. As I continued reading it became clear that it was more so a good thing than a bad one. Imagination is “the human power that shapes artistic expression; it enables a writer’s work to become an expression of meaning in our world,
Natasha S. King
ENG 125 Introduction to Literature
Professor Demeterius Meyers
October 29, 2012
I chose to reflect on Kate Chopins, “The Story of an Hour” for this assignment. It is about a woman finding out from her sister and friend that her husband was killed in a railroad accident. She initially appears very grief stricken and cries out in her sister’s arms. Not long after she retreats alone to her bedroom. While in her room she realizes that although she loved her husband more often than not she was unhappy. She realizes that she is happy about the fact that she will be able to live a life of happiness for herself. As she goes back out in the living room the front door opens and in walks her husband. It turns out that he was nowhere near the accident and wasn’t even aware that there had been one. The wife has a heart attack and dies. This story initially caught my eye because it started off stating how due to her heart trouble they were trying to break the news of the husband’s death to as easily as possible. It pulled me in because death is an issue that I’m currently dealing with and very sensitive to. Before Mrs. Mallard went into her room by herself she appeared to be a very grief stricken woman, as any would and should be when finding out their husband has been killed in a horrible accident. Upon her going into her room I believe ambiguity set it. Our text describes ambiguity as “use of language that has more than one meaning, creating uncertainty about how to interpret what has been stated”.(Clugston, 2010 Section 1.2) In the story it states, “She said it over and over under her breath: “free, free, free!” For a moment I was confused as to whether this was a good or a bad thing. As I continued reading it became clear that it was more so a good thing than a bad one. Imagination is “the human power that shapes artistic expression; it enables a writer’s work to become an expression of meaning in our world,