What Is The Mood Of The Story Of An Hour
Many events can happen within an hour whether they be good or bad. However, nothing compares to the hour in which Louise Mallard experienced in Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of An Hour.” Chopin begins her story explaining that Mrs. Mallard suffers from a heart condition; this information, later on, becomes very significant. The news of Brently Mallard’s death comes as a shock to Louise, and she is immediately overcome with sorrow and pain as she mourns her husband’s death. The majority of Chopin’s nineteenth-century short story takes place in the upstairs bedroom that Brently and Louise Mallard shared as a married couple. In this bedroom, Louise experiences times of mourning, fear, happiness, and overall victory. Scenes and scents of
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Louise Mallard, although stricken with a heart disease, accepts her role as a submissive wife and lives years in a depressing state while being controlled by her husband. This submission and unfortunate lack of freedom make the sad news of her husband’s supposed death harder on her. Her life is ripped from her by the words of Josephine, Louise’s sister, and a close friend of Brently Mallard’s. Self-destruction overcomes the new widow as she flees to her bedroom. Mark Cunningham (2004) expresses in his commentary, “The story portrays the position of women in the late nineteenth century American society as so bleak that the attempt to break from the life-denying limitations of patriarchal society itself self-destructive” (p. 49). When Mr. Mallard’s death is introduced to Louise, she responds to the news in the most expected way: she mourns. Kate Chopin (2010) states after Louise Mallard learns of her husband’s death, “She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment…she went away to her room alone. She would have no one to follow her” (p. 236). Mrs. Mallard is oblivious to her new freedom; she allows the shock of his death overcome her, and, in her mind, she no longer has a purpose in life and is now abandoned within her marriage. This represents in the theme the lack of freedom that belongs to Louise. In a critical analysis written by Selina Jamil (2009), she confirms Louise’s blindness to the reality of the world by saying, “When she hears the news of her husband’s death, Mrs. Mallard’s obliviousness to the beauty of life breaks down under the powerful impact of emotions” (p. 216). Louise’s reaction to the death is not uncommon; however, her lack of freedom and overwhelming sadness is only momentary as
Louise Mallard, although stricken with a heart disease, accepts her role as a submissive wife and lives years in a depressing state while being controlled by her husband. This submission and unfortunate lack of freedom make the sad news of her husband’s supposed death harder on her. Her life is ripped from her by the words of Josephine, Louise’s sister, and a close friend of Brently Mallard’s. Self-destruction overcomes the new widow as she flees to her bedroom. Mark Cunningham (2004) expresses in his commentary, “The story portrays the position of women in the late nineteenth century American society as so bleak that the attempt to break from the life-denying limitations of patriarchal society itself self-destructive” (p. 49). When Mr. Mallard’s death is introduced to Louise, she responds to the news in the most expected way: she mourns. Kate Chopin (2010) states after Louise Mallard learns of her husband’s death, “She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment…she went away to her room alone. She would have no one to follow her” (p. 236). Mrs. Mallard is oblivious to her new freedom; she allows the shock of his death overcome her, and, in her mind, she no longer has a purpose in life and is now abandoned within her marriage. This represents in the theme the lack of freedom that belongs to Louise. In a critical analysis written by Selina Jamil (2009), she confirms Louise’s blindness to the reality of the world by saying, “When she hears the news of her husband’s death, Mrs. Mallard’s obliviousness to the beauty of life breaks down under the powerful impact of emotions” (p. 216). Louise’s reaction to the death is not uncommon; however, her lack of freedom and overwhelming sadness is only momentary as