The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
Literary Criticism
ENG 125
November 14, 2011
Literary Criticism
Literary criticism is the informed personal response after openly experiencing some form of the literature. I have chosen to blend the reader’s response and formalist to criticize the story “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. She is always able to capture the reader’s attention and never lets it go throughout the entire story. In the story, “The Story of an Hour”, Kate Chopin (1984) captures the readers attention with just a very few lines at the beginning of the story. She sets a suspenseful mood that leaves the reader wanting to know more and more
“Knowing that Ms. Millard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.” (Chopin, K., 1984) (Chugston, R.W., 2010, chpt. 2)
However, with these few lines she sets the mood for what the readers would think of the rest of the story, when in fact she is setting them up for a very emotional roller coaster ride. She proceeds to describes Ms. Millard as not being like normal wives standing in one places rooted there by the overwhelming news that her husband was dead. Ms. Millard falls into her sister’s arms crying at once giving into her sorrow. But then goes to say she becomes very quite and with draws to her room to be alone. She seemingly wants to escape the news and that of her family members.
“Into this sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul.” (Chopin, K., 1984) (Chugtson, R.W., 2010 chpt. 2). Chopin (1984) lets the reader feel the exhaustion by her wording here. She does describe the overwhelming pressure the now widowed Ms. Millard is feeling while sinking into the armchair. It does however, seems like Ms. Millard is trying to escape her sorrow by looking out the window.
While the story continues the mood is changes into the one of renewal. Ms. Millard lets her worried sister know she is doing
ENG 125
November 14, 2011
Literary Criticism
Literary criticism is the informed personal response after openly experiencing some form of the literature. I have chosen to blend the reader’s response and formalist to criticize the story “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. She is always able to capture the reader’s attention and never lets it go throughout the entire story. In the story, “The Story of an Hour”, Kate Chopin (1984) captures the readers attention with just a very few lines at the beginning of the story. She sets a suspenseful mood that leaves the reader wanting to know more and more
“Knowing that Ms. Millard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.” (Chopin, K., 1984) (Chugston, R.W., 2010, chpt. 2)
However, with these few lines she sets the mood for what the readers would think of the rest of the story, when in fact she is setting them up for a very emotional roller coaster ride. She proceeds to describes Ms. Millard as not being like normal wives standing in one places rooted there by the overwhelming news that her husband was dead. Ms. Millard falls into her sister’s arms crying at once giving into her sorrow. But then goes to say she becomes very quite and with draws to her room to be alone. She seemingly wants to escape the news and that of her family members.
“Into this sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul.” (Chopin, K., 1984) (Chugtson, R.W., 2010 chpt. 2). Chopin (1984) lets the reader feel the exhaustion by her wording here. She does describe the overwhelming pressure the now widowed Ms. Millard is feeling while sinking into the armchair. It does however, seems like Ms. Millard is trying to escape her sorrow by looking out the window.
While the story continues the mood is changes into the one of renewal. Ms. Millard lets her worried sister know she is doing
References: Chopin, K., (1984), “The Story of an Hour” Chugston, R.W., (2010). Journey Into Literature. Retrieved on November 14 2011 from http://content.ashford.edu/books/ASENG12510.2