The Story of One Hour by Kate Chopin (Essay Sample)

Denise Duke
Composition and Literature
24 June 2014
Cover Letter
Dear Dr. Rosalie Owens
RE: The Story of One Hour by Kate Chopin
I have chosen “The Story of One Hour by Kate Chopin which was first published in 1894. I chose this work because of the impact of how a very short story can have such a huge literary impact in the short time one reads the book. The story focuses on feminist issues in the 19th century at a time that there was no feminist movements to fight for the oppresses women, yet this are issues that became a big issue in the 20th century.
As I researched and wrote this project I realized that readers of a similar work of literature can have very different perceptions of the story. When I first read the story I had my own understanding of the work, but this started to change as I read other literary critics of the same story.
I chose the revision option and this changed the essay in the area of perception and interpretation of the story. Initially the first essay explained how Louise gained freedom after realizing her husband was dead. In the revision essay, it further interprets the power of the emotions by using the act of rape, the power of the Holy Spirit and sex. This helped understand the immense power that Louise felt when she realized she was free. The thesis did not shift, but it was more cohesive and stronger through additional emphasis. I focused on additional supporting evidence to explain the rapid change inn emotions of Louise especially when she had the news of the death of her husband. It became easier to explain what the ‘something’ was in the story. The organization of the story did not change however there were additions to the different sections in order to emphasis the impact of the tone of the short story. The essay clearly shows different perceptions of the short story.
The part that was hardest about the writing process of this project was getting different reviews of the story. Many of the reviews were almost similar in the perception of the story. However, proper research on the work ensured that I got the correct peer reviewed sources on the work. The projects strengths were the ability to learn how to critically analyze a work of literature. It made me realize that there are many different types of readers who can interpret the same story in different ways. The project taught me how to adapt the views of literature critics and also readers who have different reviews and perceptions. One may focus on one perception and understanding of a work of literature, but it is important to read other reviews from different literature critics as this enhance the understanding of literature. This project has improved my critical writing skills and ability to review literature.
The project did not have many weaknesses; however, at first it was difficult to get comparisons for the project. It is important to learn how to research so that you can get credible peer reviewed sources. I would like the instructor to critically analyze the essay and let me know which areas I need to improve. The whole project was a great learning experience in my understanding of Literature.
Denise Duke
Denise Duke
Dr. Rosalie Owens
Composition and Literature
18 May 2014
The Story of One Hour by Kate Chopin
The Story of One Hour by Kate Chopin was first published in 1894. Kate started writing fiction in 1889 and was known for her feminist views in her books. The short story focuses on one hour in the life of Louise Mallard during the times of the Victorian society. The story starts when Louise’s sister Josephine tells Louise about the death of her husband Brently in a train accident, and the events that follow. Louise is a woman with a bad heart, and dies when she finds out her husband is still alive despite being told that he had died in an accident (Chopin 5). In one hour, Louise goes through a series of varying emotions that make her go into shock and eventually these shocks become lethal in the end. The impact of tone in the short story is shocking, ironical and yet cynical.
The author shocks readers at the end of the short story and creates a debate on why Louise died. Did Louise die of a heart attack because of her short-lived joy and excitement when she believed her husband was dead? The tone of the story changes drastically from sorrow to joy and to sometimes being ironic or cynical. Louise is told by her sister that her husband has died in a train accident. The sister and Richards are careful about how they break the news due to Louise’s heart condition because the bad news may kill her. The tone of the story is one of sorrow as Louise cries in her sister’s arms. When she returns to her room, she takes time to think about what the death of her husband means. Suddenly she starts to see life from a different perspective from the one she is living.
Selina (2009) regards Louise’s’ reaction to her husband’s death as odd because that is not what other women in the 19th century would react to such news. She had always dreaded her life and the news meant that she only had to think of herself. She quickly starts to think of life after the funeral as this is the end of life with a man who did not love her. It will all be over as she will not have any obligations to anyone, and will not have to live an oppressed life. This was indeed freedom something she had never experienced (Selina 216).
Deneau (2004) interprets the story through understanding what kind of woman Louise was in order to understand the rapid changes in emotions she underwent in one hour. Is she normal, selfish or egocentric? Different types of readers may perceive Louise in different ways depending on their preconceptions of love and marriage. The question most readers would ask if the sense of freedom that Louise seeks is possible in normal human relationships. Part of the story sounds realistic and clear, but the end suddenly changes the whole impact of the story as it becomes mysterious, puzzling and inexplicable (Deneau 210).
Louise has never imagined life without her husband and does not believe that is even a possibility. In Victorian society, women belonged to men, where they were weak and helpless. Women could not survive without their husbands or fathers. The role of the wife in this society was to cook, clean, and give both to children (Mitchell 62). Louise always knew that she would remain married to Brently and would never gain any freedom. The tone of the story changes when Louise suddenly realizes she is free and independent. She no longer belongs to her husband. This thought gets her excited as she desperately tries to fight the feeling of joy. She tries to fight this because feeling this amount of joy and excitement was forbidden in this society. Suddenly she acknowledges all the excitement and joy of freedom and start acting like she is possessed. She sees her life different, free, and full of hope and she unexpectedly utters the word free three times. She says it over and over again in disbelief. She becomes overwhelmed and begins to pray hoping this feeling will last forever. She realizes that everything around her is very beautiful and suddenly she it dawns on her that she is free.
Chopin explains this feeling that Louise has as “something” (Chopin 2) from the sky that had an immense power over her which makes her view her life from a completely different perceptive. Chopin manages to make this powerful force that overwhelms Louise look like a supernatural force, something out of the ordinary. In a normal situation, if Louise started celebrating her freedom after learning that her husband is dead would have meant that she is a mean, calculating and insensitive woman. It is at this point that Louise meets this powerful something with anxiety, hope and expectation. Deneau (213) explains this encounter as a sexual experience between Louise and this powerful force that overwhelms her as the feeling becomes relaxing and stimulating. The force is so strong that it fee...