The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin
The Story Of An Hour is a short story that narrates the time that pass by between the moment protagonist, Louise Mallard, leans of the news that her husband died and later discovers that indeed her husband is still alive. Once she hears of her husband’s death, Mallard perceives herself as a liberated woman but her perceived joy is short-lived.
Symbolism
The troubled heart
The heart trouble that Mallard suffers from depicts a woman’s perceived physical weaknesses. It further represents Mallard’s hesitancy regarding her troubled marriage and her need for freedom. Mallard’s heart illness is the first thing that the reader discovers about her. One also learns that the heart trouble is what makes the pronouncement of the death of Brently nerve-racking. Accordingly, whenever Mallard thinks about her newly found independence, the rate of her heartbeats increase. However, on seeing her husband again, she dies of shock but the doctor concludes that Mallard dies because of the joy she feels upon sighting her husband. The doctor’s reason is ironical because it is apparent that Mallard dies because she has lost the joy that she was experiencing as a liberated woman during the time her husband is thought to be dead.
The open window
The open window from which Mallard stares represents the opportunities and the freedom that characterize Mallard experiences following her husband’s death. While gazing through the gaping window, Mallard sees the blue sky, the fluffy clouds, and the treetops. She also hears people talking, birds singing and feels the smell of a coming rainstorm. All the foregoing things that Mallard experienced while looking through the open window are suggestive of the joy and freedom she is about to experience as a liberated woman.
Themes
The limited joy of freedom
Throughout the story, the notion of freedom and independence is limited. Mallard’s unhappy marriage life and her thoughts suggest that achieving absolute freedom can only be imagined. While alone, Mallard starts imagining her life as a liberated woman. When she realizes that she is a liberated woman, she feels relieved and excited although she does not openly show her excitement.
Oppression
The narrative and particularly Mallard’s marital life postulates that marriage is an oppressive institution, particularly to the women. Mallard is the first to admit that her husband is kind and loving yet she feels liberated after her husband’s death. Brently’s death is therefore depicted as an unfortunate event that provides Mallard with the much needed independence.
Characters
Louise Mallard
Brently Mallard
He is the husband to Louise Mallard. He supposedly dies following a train accident. Her wife depicts him as a loving and kind person but the novel portrays him as an oppressive character. He later arrives home not aware of the fact that there was a train accident.
Josephine
She is Louise Mallard’s sister who informs the latter of her husband’s death.
Richards
He is Brently’s friend who learns of Brently’s death from a newspaper office.
The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant
The necklace is a story of a young beautiful woman who borrows a diamond necklace to attend a party but loses the necklace while at the party. She has to endure hardships as she and her husband works tirelessly in a bid to pay for the lost necklace. She later learns that the necklace was not a real diamond necklace.
Character list
Mathilde Loisel
She is the protagonist. She is poor and marries a clerk who is only able to afford a modest life. She spends most of her life hoping for an extravagant life. She borrows an expensive necklace and ends up losing it. The loss condemns her to a more miserable life.
Monsieur Loisel
He is a clerk at the ministry of education and a husband to the protagonist, Mathilde Loisel.
Madame Forestier
She is Mathilde Loisel’s wealthy friend from whom Loisel borrows the diamond necklace.
Themes
Deceptive theme
Although Matilde Loisel feels that she is deserving of the privileges of a high social class, she is neither part of a high social class nor is she wealthy. She lives a world full of fantasy depicting herself as a woman of high social standing. Loisel is more beautiful than other women. However, beneath all the pomp and glamour that she portrays she is poor and her appearance has taken considerable time of scheming to achieve her ‘beautiful’ look. The deceptive appearance of Loisel is depicted by the beautiful yet phony diamond necklace.
The theme of desire
This theme is highlighted by Loisel’s yearning for what her wealthy friends have. Loisel only thinks of achieving a lavish life that she can only imagine.
Symbols
The Diamond Necklace
The necklace is beautiful but worthless. It symbolizes the power of perception and the distinction between reality and appearance. When Loisel borrows the necklace because it is beautiful and seems to be a genuine jewel, she does not learn that the necklace is a phony. People also perceive Loisel as a person who lives a high class life yet she is leads is very humble life.
