Preview

What Makes Kate Chopin Ethical Decision Making

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1008 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Makes Kate Chopin Ethical Decision Making
Decision-making is something that occurs in the lives of people every day, just as it is with ethical decision making. The only difference is that in this case, decision-making is more general than ethical choice. Consequently, people are faced with instances when they have to make decisions in their day-to-day lives. The story by Chopin presents a situation where everything that people are doing are surrounded by making decisions (Chopin *). For instance as already discussed, the protagonist is faced with the decision of living a life she does not really like and does not feel comfortable with, just for the sake of being a virtuous wife. This is the first example of a decision making. Secondly, she also decides to hide her joy over the death …show more content…
Mallard has died. Even though they had delivered the news in the best way possible, they were afraid that the consequences may be regrettable. The result of the new was however positive since Mrs. Mallard did not lose her life. However, they had not confirmed that Mr. Mallard was actually dead, but they had heard from reports that the train he boarded has crashed and everyone died. The consequence of this news is that when Mrs. Mallard sees her husband alive then she drops down dead. Concurring to the other characters’ sees, the circumstance that led to Mrs. Mallard’s passing was justifiable. It was sad but characteristic that after such an encounter of despondency and distress, her heart would not be able to require the stun of seeing her husband alive “again”. In any case, ready to conclude that other sentiments may have murdered her. She was disappointed that her dream had been destroyed. That all what she had thought would be flexibility, was but a dream. The consequences in this case are negative. Just like in the same way, life has decisions that ought to be made; there are also consequences for the decisions that are made. The consequences are sometimes fetal and cause a loss of life. In a nutshell, ethical decision making can sometimes condition people to do things as required by the …show more content…
The situation is considered difficult because anything people who are around the protagonist do should be carefully thought out so that they not lose her. Her heart’s condition makes her vulnerable to any extreme news whether positive or negative. In this story, death brings some of these feelings such as distress and pain. However, the story has proved that death can bring joy and independence. Kate Chopin uses death to symbolize joy and independence. The article Lau, Richard, Vitell, S. J., et al and Saaty, T. L., have strongly supported the fact that decision making in such very tough scenarios is common. Furthermore Bommer, M., et al., Boulding, K. E., and Brown, R., et al., have also affirmed that ethical decision making is a part of people’s life even though it limits people to making decisions as required by the society’s morals and not that which make them happy like in the case of Mrs. Mallard. Furthermore, supported by the studies done by Lake, C. R and Tangney, J. P., et al, decisions have consequences and the consequences can be fatal. In fact this is what characterizes life, that is, decisions and

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Mallard in the story, which allows us to envisage the irony in the story. It starts on the substantial belief of “weak heart”, therefore,” Knowing that Mrs. Mallard 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.”(Choplin 1) But, till the readers reach the end the death of Louise brings out the irony in the story.” The Joy that kills” (Choplin 20) relates to her death because of sudden loss of independence she found a while ago. Mark Cunningham also debates on the similar theme that Louise’s death is caused by the shock of the new found…

    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mallard sat with paralyzed inability to accept its significance. Her initial response, as “she wept at once” upon hearing about her husbands death seemed ordinary. However, just as she entered her room, she stood infront of her bedrooms open window. A reader would normally think that Mrs.Mallard is contemplating on how she would life as widow without her beloved. However, Mrs. Mallarad surprinsingly sinks herself onto the nearby “comfortable roomy armchair” and silently whispers “Free, Free, Free”. Her silent whispers was only one of the myriad of signs that gave the indication that Mrs. Mallard weas in an unhappy marriage. Even though she admits to her self that he, himself, was not a bad husband and she even loved him sometimes, she concludes her thoughts by claiming that she often did not even have such deep feelings towards…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Knowing that Mrs. Mallard 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)…

    • 840 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The predominant ethical dilemma in this scenario is Sophie’s right to decide what she wants to do in regards to her pregnancy, weighing up three different options that are outlined in Appendix B, C and D. Kerridge’s (2009) model for Ethical Decision- Making is utilized to explore this case scenario and ethical decision making.…

    • 224 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ethics Wk1DQ1

    • 275 Words
    • 1 Page

    Ethical dilemmas differ from other situations in which decisions must be made when the situation is merely uncomfortable. In order to determine if a situation is ethical it must require a choice to be made and no matter what course of action is taken, an ethical principle must be compromised.…

    • 275 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In the story of an Hour of time, Chopin gives new meaning to the age-old saying, ‘Till death do us part.’ If not by his death, then she would achieve freedom through her own death. Unsatisfied with the era’s fate for women, she couldn’t bear the idea of facing life in her husband’s shadow once she had gotten a small taste of new consciousness. Through the creation of Mrs. Mallard’s dual characters, Chopin emphasizes that one would go to any length to attain what they…

    • 1279 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    choices you will be making? Decision making tied to ethics and values may not be easy…

    • 277 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Richards, a friend of Mr. Mallard’s, is the first to hear about Brently Mallard’s death in a railroad accident. We learn that “great care was taken” in telling Mrs. Mallard as gently as possible about the death of her husband. Mrs. Mallard’s own sister, Josephine, delivers the news “in broken sentences” and “veiled hints” (1). This was done with her “heart trouble” in mind, in order to not cause her further heart complications.…

    • 1826 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Moral Dilemas: Antigone

    • 364 Words
    • 2 Pages

    One of the most difficult trials I face in my life are ethical and moral dilemmas. I believe one purpose for this life is to learn to act for ourselves and learn to see a situation correctly and act righteously. Everyday I'm faced with decisions of right and wrong, most of which are easily and correctly dealt with. Sometimes however, decisions need to be made that are not easy or perfectly clear. In this paper I wish to discuss a presented moral dilemma and explain what I would do in the same situation.…

    • 364 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    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
  • Satisfactory Essays

    essay 4

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Here are many times in life when we will be faced with making a decision. Some of these decisions will be pretty simple. Some of them will be very difficult and could result in something happening that goes against all we believe in, or our moral responsibility.…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    First, in this paper I will discuss normative ethics and how people go about making hard decisions. I will explain to you what consequentialism and deontology are. I will also explain how our emotions play a role in our decisions to make consequentialist moral judgements and deontological moral judgements. Next, I will discuss how our emotions influence our decisions. Greene believe that we should not trust our deontological moral judgements. I agree with Greene and I will give examples and reasoning behind why I also do not think we should make deontological moral judgements.…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Major ethical dilemmas require sound principles of moral understanding in order to act accordingly. Two major views on moral stance are the ethical principles of consequentialism and the commonly contrasted non-consequentialist view. This paper will try to present a fictional ethical dilemma which stresses these two major views and exposes the strengths and weaknesses of both views. The “Trolley Problem” is a short video published by BBCradiofour which depicts an ethical dilemma with three possible outcomes (BBCradiofour).…

    • 651 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Story of the Hour

    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages

    This is the first look at Kate Chopin work that interested me by the introduction of her in the book. I thought that the persona was evident in this essay since she had dealt with a so many losses of love ones in her life. Ms. Chopin had four siblings that had passed away before the age of 25 years old, which was not uncommon in that era due to the environment and health care system. After only being married to her husband for 12 years and having six children he passed away, which put a great deal of hardship in her life. With adversity like that you can go one of two ways; you can become angry and bitter or take it make an asset and better yourself as a person. When looking at this story it can be interpreted as their biographical or historical view.…

    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    But what happens when you have no choice but to make an unethical, life altering choice. No matter how you look at it, it will always be wrong even if you try to find reason behind it. For example, a choice as to whether or not you should let one or both of your children be taken and killed. In “Sophie’s…

    • 1108 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays