The first wave of feminism swamped the world in the second half of the twentieth century and was swooped up by a great amount of women, who finally got the opportunity to sound off their discontents and complains. The supporters and mediators of feminism appeared from different fields of activities and of various strata of society. As the issue of feminism gathered momentum, it fell under thorough research and detected that feminist ideas appeared centuries ago and can be found in literary works of unrecognized authoresses and poetesses. Kate Chopin was one of them, who cherished feminist spirit in her works. The detailed analysis of her short story The Story of an Hour helps to reveal the expression of feminist ideas in terms of plot, characters, tone, imagery, symbolism and other stylistic devices.
The plot develops a strong feminist idea that a woman is suffering in her wedlock. Moreover, she feels herself free after her husband’s death. This notion was common among followers of the movement, as a woman after the marriage was considered to be the man’s property and had to be submissive and obedient, serve him and satisfy all his needs. That is why the protagonist of Chopin’s story, Mrs. Mallard, is finally happy, as now she can live for herself and no one else. Suddenly she understands that “there would be no powerful will bending hers” and no one will “impose a private will upon” her. (Chopin) After living in a marriage, Mrs. Mallard realizes that “in the face of this possession of self-assertion” love means nothing for her. (Chopin) But this new knowledge does not disappoint her. On the contrary, she feels freedom and already tastes her new upcoming life.
The main character Mrs. Louise Mallard represents all the women, who suffer in their marriages and even afraid to think of their own rights and gender equality with the other men. In the very first sentence the narrator informs the reader that Mrs. Mallard is “afflicted with a heart trouble”. (Chopin) Her “heart trouble”, being considered as a symbol, can be viewed from two different angles: in the meaning of a health problem and, as an emotional problem, connected with her image of love that was smashed during her married life.
The description of Louise’s appearance proves the previous idea. The author portrays her as a young lady, but “with a fair, calm face” and with the “lines [that] bespoke repression and even a certain strength.” (Chopin) Her disease in the context of the story may also be caused by the hardships of her life with a husband. The lines on her face are wrinkles that usually appear as the result of aging process. Describing Louise as a young wrinkled lady Chopin uses a stylistic device called paradox. It combines two contradicting statements and is used in order to provoke critical thinking among the readers. The fact that lines “bespoke repression” mean that Mrs. Mallard was very reserved and preferred to keep all her negative feelings and emotions to herself, seeing no reason in sharing them with her husband or even her sister Josephine. It may testify the difference in their views and a fear to be misunderstood.
Also, the reaction of Louise on the death of her husband deserves a special attention. The narrator says that she does not listen to the story as a lot of women do: “with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance.” (Chopin) Kate Chopin is trying to say that the reaction of any other woman would be different. Many of them deny the fact that this could happened, seek for proofs, try to connect with the husband and make sure that everything is fine. But Louise “wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment”. (Chopin) She accepted Mr. Mallard’s death for granted, as something she was waiting for a long time and prepared herself for it. The image of the woman that secretly dreams of the husband’s death was unacceptable in the society of that time, but Chopin was not afraid to express such brave feminist ideas in her story.
The most symbolic scene in the story takes place in the Louise’s room, when she locks the door and sits alone in the chair. The setting plays a great role here and allows making connection to expression s of feminism. Everything the reader knows is that Mallards live in a house, evidently with two floors, as Louise walked up and down the stairs, and she has her own room. The fact that she has her own room only proves that Mrs. Mallard is not satisfied with her position in the family and seeks for privacy in the place, where she can devote the time only to herself.
The next symbol is the sky: “there were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds”. (Chopin) The sky definitely symbolizes happiness, especially the blue one. It may also be a symbol of freedom and means that there is no limits and anything is possible. That is what Mrs. Mallard understands after the husband’s death. She is free to fly anywhere, like a bird float in the unbounded vastness of the sky. From the feminist point of view, the patches of blue sky that were emerging from under the clouds, can be regarded as the thoughts of women that slowly begin to realize the value of their own life and the need to break through the men’s oppression.
The well-chosen imagery in the story appeals to the reader’s sense and allows feeling the approach of freedom the way Louise felt it: “creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents”. (Chopin) The depiction of nature evokes the sense of seeing, the twittering of sparrows is auditory imagery and the fresh air appeals to the sense of smell – olfactory imagery. Their usage helps to deep the reader into the actions of the story and gives an opportunity for the women, who are dissatisfied with their wedlock, to feel what it means to be free. In such a way Chopin suggest a way forward for the women.
Unfortunately, later, when Louise is walking down the stairs “unwittingly like a goddess of Victory”, Mr. Mallard shows up. (Chopin) After seeing her husband alive and healthy, Louise dies of heart disease. Death in this case is nothing but a symbol of freedom that Mrs. Mallard so strongly desired and finally got it.
Work Cited
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour”. The Heath Introduction To Literature. Ed. Alice S. Landy and William Rodney Allen. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. Print.
