Example Of Essay On Literary Analysis

In “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin presents readers with a view of marriage that is not very commonly heard of these days. After learning that her husband has died, Mrs. Louise Mallard, the main character of the short story, experiences the delight and glee of freedom instead of the depression and sorrow of having lost her life partner. Chop has chosen such a structure for her short story that seems to be well suited for its subject matter. The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin is one of her most famous work because of how she is able to relate such a personal tale through the voice of a narrator, and how this enables her to reveal the oppressive nature of Mrs. Mallard’s marriage and how it is holding her back.
Even though it is Chopin who is telling Mrs. Mallard’s story, she does not relate it in first person. Instead, the story is revealed through the voice of a narrator. However, the narrator of the story is not merely an observer. For instance, the narrator is aware that for most of her married life, Mrs. Mallard did not love her husband (par. 15). It is apparent that knows more than what is possible through mere physical observation. However, Chopin never really reveals Mrs. Mallard’s true inner feelings to the readers. Instead, in order to understand what Mrs. Mallard is feeling, readers are forced to pay attention to her actions and words. When Kate Chopin does describe Mrs. Mallard’s emotions regarding anything that thrills her, she seems to use a lively and rice language with colorful and vibrant images. In sharp contrast, Mrs. Mallard actually seems emotionally unattached or indifferent in other sections of the story. For instance, one moment Chopin is Mrs. Mallard’s emotional passivity when revealing she did not love her husband, however, Chopin’s language along with Mrs. Mallard’s character seems to come to life in the lines that follow. Moreover, her emotional passivity is revealed in short and tidy sentences, while the sentences that display her lively emotions are long and massive, contrasting with the rest.
It becomes obvious that Mrs. Mallard’s marriage had been holding her back. The lines of her face speak of her “repression” (par. 8). Upon learning that her husband has died, Mrs. Mallard is aware that there will “be no powerful will bending her” (par. 14). She realizes that since her husband is dead, there will be no one “[imposing] a private will upon” (par. 14) her. Surprisingly, Mrs. Mallard admits that her husband did love her and he had always looked at her with nothing but love (par. 13). By providing this information, Chopin seems to be implying that Mr. Mallard was not a bad man; he just believed that directing his wife in everything she did was his obligation and his right. When Mrs. Mallard learns that her husband has died, she realizes that her days of being repressed are over, and that no one will be directing her will anymore. However, with the use of irony, Chopin delivers a crushing blow that shatters everything Mrs. Mallard seems to be looking forward to.
Chopin also expresses the oppressive nature of marriage through the language she uses to describe Mrs. Louise Mallard’s emotions as she sways between absolute gladness and numbness at her newfound freedom. Chopin uses powerful and vibrant words to describe Mrs. Mallard’s emotions, even though the rest of the story is in simple prose. Thrice she repeats the word “Free” (par. 11). This suggests that Mrs. Mallard’s is living a secret life within herself that seems to have no connection with the outside world of her husband and friends. It is important to note that this is why she secludes herself in her room to unearth her feelings. Even though Mrs. Mallard ultimately walks down the stairs, with triumph in her eyes (par. 20), the irony is that at that moment, Mr. Mallard walks in through the door and the sight actually ends up killing Mrs. Mallard. It does not take long for Mrs. Mallard to realize that she will freedom, independence and individuality she was hoping to gain, are no longer going to be within her reach. It literally breaks her heart that she will once again have to live as nothing more than a wife, as she had been. It becomes evident that Mrs. Mallard is not able to bear the grim thought of resuming former life.
Even though Mrs. Mallard’s true inner emotions and feelings are never directly revealed, the contrasting language and sentence structures used by Kate Chopin enables the readers to get a glimpse into Mrs. Mallard’s wild mind. Indeed, a very grim portrait of marriage has been depicted in “The Story of an Hour.” Therefore, it is not surprising that many of the other works of Kate Chopin are measured against this short story. Sadly, it is a story that begins with the assumption of death and ends with a death. Freedom is nowhere to be found, at least not for Mrs. Mallard.