The Story of An Hour (Essay Sample)

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Kate Chopin’s Characterization of Louise Mallard in ‘The Story of an Hour’
‘The story of an hour’ by Kate Chopin depicts Louise Mallard, who receives the sad news of her husband’s reported demise and how she reacts to the same. Interestingly, her first reaction is one that everyone would expect based on the nature of the news itself and the relationship involved. However, Louise Mallard’s reaction takes a dramatic twist after some time when she realizes the fact that her husband’s demise emancipates her from his oppressive nature and treatment. Unfortunately, the report of his death turns out to be false, and Louise suffers a heart attack when she sees him at the door while she was celebrating his emancipating death shortly before. The author’s characterization of Louise Mallard as an oppressed woman illustrates the plight of other women suffering in oppressive marriages within their domestic lives at home (Chopin and Adams 48). It also forms the objective of this paper, which seeks to discuss the issue in more detail from both perspectives.
In her short story that lasts all of one hour, Kate Chopin characterizes Louise Mallard in many ways. However, none of them stands out as her characterization of a house-wife oppressed by domestic life at home within the bonds of marriage. The third paragraph sets the tone for these numerous characterizations by stating that Louise Mallard "did not hear the story as many women have -with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance" (Chopin). These words describe a woman whose response to the death of her husband differs from the norm. Based on the fact that Louise’s husband, Brently Mallard was an oppressive man to his wife, the response points to some relief from this undue oppressiveness that Louise has suffered. However, the response conceals her relief by weeping.
Kate further characterizes women who endure oppression in the domestic life of marriage at home through Louise’s physical attributes while she sits in her room after leaving her sister and his husband in the next room. The seventh paragraph bears text that demonstrates Kate’s characterization of Louise Mallard as an oppressed housewife. The demonstration materializes through descriptive words such as "young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength" (Chopin). These descriptions by the author contribute to her characterization of Louise’s suffering while at home due to her husband’s oppressiveness. The lines on her face could be indicative of stressful conditions that leave her frowning and deprived of happiness again demonstrating the oppression that women sometimes undergo at the hands of their oppressive husbands at home.
Perhaps the strongest indicator that Kate Chopin uses to demonstrate the effects of marital oppression in Louise Mullar is her words while alone in the room. Instead of mourning her husband, she is overcome with feelings of freedom. So much, that she whispers the words ‘free’ three times in a joyful mood of celebration the freedom Brently’s death has granted her (Chopin and Chopin 71). Therefore, Kate Chopin characterizes the oppressive environment women live in through domestic life in marriage using Louise’s reactions while in the privacy of her bedroom. The fact that she does not initially allow anyone, even her sister, to follow her into the room indicates her need to express some relief based on the death of the source of oppression in her life.
The events surrounding Louise Mallard’s demise also demonstrate the author’s rather tragic characterization of oppressed married women living in domestic conditions at home. Louise has just learned of the reported death of her oppressive husband in a railway accident. She proceeds to lock herself in a separate room to wear off the initial feelings of grief that give way to an unprecedented sense of relief and optimism in the knowledge that the oppressive husband is dead. However, Kate Chopin final characterization of the effects of oppression on married women who live in domestic livelihoods at home in the way of Louise’s tragic death is unfortunate. After celebrating the demise of her oppressive husband in secret, when she joins the other and sees her husband, alive and well, she collapses and dies (Wilson 149). Probable causes of her death emanate from her weak heart coupled with the disappointment of knowing that her oppressive husband is still alive and just came home on the same day she thought ...