Preview

What Is The Irony In The Story Of An Hour

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
417 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Is The Irony In The Story Of An Hour
Imagine this, you’re back in time in the 1890’s. You want to be an independent woman, who doesn’t depend on a man, but society says no. Mrs.Mallard in The Story of an Hour wants exactly this. So, when she hears that her husband has been killed in a railroad accident, she doesn’t think twice about how she feels. She believes she is free, facing the welcoming spring air, enjoying life as if she hasn't lost her beloved husband. But, not for long. Her dreams are shattered as her “dead” soulmate walks through the door, and her heart stops. Literally. In this story, you’ll find that there are plenty of hidden ironic situations, those being situational and dramatic. When Mr and Mrs. Mallard meet face to face at the front door of their home, you
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Girl by kincaid
    • 820 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Girl by kincaid

    Both Kincaid and Chopin wrote from their own experiences to portray a theme of feminism and women breaking away from stereotypes from their time periods. The Story of an Hour is the storyof a womans excitement for freedom from her husbands control. This story criticizes the sacrifices made by women to pleasethe stereotypes society had set, and that it attacks marriages where one personcontrols the relationship. Mrs. Mallards death at the end ofthe story is said to be brought on by the pain Mrs. Mallard felt when the shelost the joy and individuality she gained from her husbands death and not from happiness and relief of seeing her husband alive. Mrs. Mallards excitement for freedom illustrates how women of the timefelt about their male-dominated society. The women were ready to break free andexperience a more equalized society.…

    • 820 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Irony in the Story of an Hour
    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Irony in the Story of an Hour

    “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is filled with Irony. Irony, in this story, is defined by something other than the expected happening. From the beginning, things are not what they seem. The author makes the reader believe that the main character will react in one way, but to our surprise something different happens. She creates, in our minds, an idea that there will be sorrow and mourning over death. After reading the first paragraph I thought the main character might even die because she was so saddened by the news of her late husband. Much to my surprise, the story take a whole different turn.…

    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Comparing The Yellow Wallpaper And The Story Of An Hour
    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Comparing The Yellow Wallpaper And The Story Of An Hour

    At the time, women were expected to both maintain a perfect public picture and to be a socially ideal wife. Even the smallest blemish to a woman’s public image could follow her around and make life harder. This mindset played a critical role in oppressing both Mrs. Mallard and the Narrator. While it may seem odd that the women never confronted their husbands or ended their relationships, that is because the women are restricted in what they can do if the feel oppressed as a result of these unwritten standards. This is especially noticeable in “The Story of an Hour,” as Mrs. Mallard does not let anyone know her inner thoughts and only shows her joy when she is alone, proving that no one else knew her true feelings likely because she saw them as incriminating.…

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Kate Choplin-the Story of an Hour
    • 1060 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Kate Choplin-the Story of an Hour

    MRs Mallard immediately comes accross as someone very fragile,since she is afflicted with a a heart trouble.We anticipate much melodrama when the news of her husband's demise is broken to her.However,we are informed that she takes it not with the paralysed inability to accept the truth but quite conveniently comes to terms with her widowhood.She takes only a few minutes to retire to her room where she wishes to be left alone,and the reality unfolds for us.…

    • 1060 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Story of an Hour
    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Story of an Hour

    One instance of situational irony in “The Story of an Hour” is when Mrs. Mallard learns of the death of her husband. At first, she reacts as any person would at the news of losing someone close to them by crying and isolating herself. However her real feelings about her husband’s death are shown later when she thought to herself, “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself” (40) However this feeling of freedom did not last long. Towards the end of the story her husband appears at the door unharmed. She then realized that she was not free from her unhappy marriage at all.…

    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Mrs Mallard Oppression
    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Mrs Mallard Oppression

    In The Story of an Hour, the main character, Mrs. Louise Mallard, is given terrible news as she learns her husband has died in a train accident, to which she reacts in an unexpected way; instead of being heartbroken she feels happy, free and as if she has been born again, which is contrary to what any woman should feel were they in her position. The author of the story, Kate Chopin, takes the reader from one end to another when she gives hints on the protagonist's feelings before and after her husband's death, making the clearly identifiable statement that marriage is a way of oppression for women. Though Chopin never states this directly, she implies it when describing Mrs. Mallard and her behaviour, as well as when depicting the setting.…

    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Story of an Hour Symbolism
    • 897 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Story of an Hour Symbolism

    In “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin uses characterization, symbols, and conflicts that suggest that in certain situations, the death of a loved one may be a blessing in disguise. Such situations may include an abusive relationship, or an unhappy marriage, as this story suggests. In Chopin’s story although the circumstances might lead the reader to believe that Mrs. Mallard’s husband’s death would cause her great pain, ironically, when she hears the news, she feels a great sense of relief. This suggests that death may not always cause grief.…

    • 897 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Story of an Hour
    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Story of an Hour

    Central character: Mrs. Mallard- Mrs. Mallard is a dynamic character. She was the wife of Brently Mallard who was assumed to be killed in a train wreck. She was sad her husband was dead, but has an awakening.…

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Unfeminine Nathalie
    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Unfeminine Nathalie

    In the short story, The Story of an Hour, Mrs. Mallard is overcome with joy upon hearing the death of her husband, Brently Mallard. She felt free of the burden of being just a wife. She felt that her life was starting over, she could live it according to her, not her husband and societal pressures. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, women did not have the virtue to do whatever they please. By law, women could not vote and were the property of their dad or husband. They could not own property, had job limitations and had no rights to their own children. Women were expected to sit still and look pretty, tend to the kids, do housework and most importantly-- support her husband. Mrs. Mallard didn’t want that for herself. She knew her life could be better without being tied to her husband. If any women were to publicly display these emotions, she would be perceived as a heathen, crazy, or…

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Response to a Short Story
    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Response to a Short Story

    The story mainly talks about complex emotions of Mrs. Mallard towards the news of her husband’s death along with her inner reflections upon living, death, and freedom. The emotional change of Mrs. Mallard is an essential clue throughout the whole story. At first, she was deep in sorrow after hearing the bad news that “she wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment”. Then, she realized that her husband’s passing away actually set her free physically and mentally from another human being – as she whispered, “Free! Body and soul free!”. Living our lives to the fullest and enjoying every moment is what she meant by freedom. In the end, Mrs. Mallard “had died of heart disease – of joy that kills”. It was the pleasure of living free and alone that let her rest in peace endlessly.…

    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Mallard's Oppression
    • 620 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Mallard's Oppression

    In this short story, The Story of an Hour, Mrs. Mallard, the main character, is written as a young calm woman with a heart issue. Because she seems fragile to the other characters in the story, the news of her husband dying in a train accident is broken to her softly by her sister. After hearing this news Mrs. Mallard escapes to her bedroom to collect her thoughts. The reader then is introduced to her inner dialogue while she looks out the window. She struggles with the idea of being saddened by her husband’s death, but is also excited that she now has the opportunity to develop her own wants, needs, and personality because she has lived through her marriage as catering to her husband’s wants and needs. The story ends with her descending the stairs from her bedroom, elated and determined for her future new life as a strong, self-sufficient and independent woman. “Free! body and soul free” Her dream is crushed when she sees her husband at the front door, never actually having been in a train accident, and she dies from the shock that she will in fact be stuck in her mundane…

    • 620 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Story Of An Hour Irony
    • 195 Words
    • 1 Page

    Story Of An Hour Irony

    In the short story,"The Story of an Hour", the author uses various types of irony. To summarize, a woman who receives news of her husband's death. Instead of grieving, she is relieved and no longer oppresses the feeling of freedom and joy. Although she loved her husband, she saw his death has the beginning of her new life. Later to find out he was alive and dies of a heart attack from having lost her freedom. The story takes place within an hour, which throughout contains dramatic, situational and verbal irony.…

    • 195 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Her hour
    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Her hour

    “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is a short story written in the 1800’s that describes the roller coaster of reactions and emotions the main character, Louise Mallard, endures after hearing the news that her husband is believed to have been killed in an accident. Although Mrs. Mallard may be criticized for what seems to be ‘heartless’ at first, the story illustrates exactly how different a woman felt in the 1800’s compared to how a woman would feel today if the accident occurred.…

    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Story of an Hour
    • 584 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Story of an Hour

    The Story of an Hour, written by Kate Chopin, expresses thoughts of new beginnings and independence through Mrs. Mallard's eyes. Mrs. Mallard received the news that her husband Brently Mallard was killed at the scene of a railroad disaster from her sister Josephine. Brently's friend, Richards, first found out about the accident through the newspaper office where he then told Josephine the news to pass along to Mrs. Mallard. With the understanding that Mrs. Mallard has heart troubles, Louise and Richards bring the news to her as carefully as possible. Following the news, Mrs. Mallard locks herself in her room keeping everyone out.…

    • 584 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Story of an Hour
    • 2421 Words
    • 10 Pages

    The Story of an Hour

    "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin is an impressive literary piece which touches a reader's feelings as well as mind. Although the story is really short, it is very rich and complete, and every word in it carries deep sense and a lot of meaning.…

    • 2421 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More

Related Topics