A Glimpse Into the Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

A Glimpse into The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Marie Edmund ENG one hundred twenty-five Introduction to Literature Nathan Pritts February 11, 2013 A Glimpse into The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Literature can be found at every turn and thither are many different genres to choose from. Each brings with it a reinvigorated world for the reader to immerse himself. Literature allows the reader to experience a new perspective. It allows the reader to feel and connect with the story and its characters. No matter the genre, the world created in a literary work provides enlightenment to the reader in malevolence of the varying emotions it conveys.One such literary work is Kate Chopins, The Story of an Hour. This short story captured my interest through its use of irony. In studying this specific work, I chose to use a reader-response approach to evaluate and analyze the text. Using a reader-response approach allows me to connect with the story and reflect on the wide array of emoti ons presented in the story. In order to connect I had to read imaginatively and immerse myself in the story and put myself in the shoes of the main character, Mrs. mallard.Once that was taken tuition of I had to consider or analyze what I had read, and then draw conclusions or interpret what I had read. In short, The Story of an Hour is about a woman who experiences a multitude of conflicting feelings at the news of her economises death due to a tragic train accident. Some of the feelings Mrs. mallard experiences in this story are melancholy, exhaustion, fear, joy, and freedom. It is interesting to note that many of Chopins literary works represent women who are struggling to be free or to have independence of self.Also noteworthy is the fact that Chopins father died in a train accident and Chopin herself grew up surrounded by smart, independent, single women (Wyatt, 1995, para. 2). It is no wonder that she portrays Mrs. Mallard as a strong, independent woman, in spite of her hea rt trouble. At the onset of the story, one might have the opinion that Mrs. Mallard is weak because of her heart trouble and the great care that is taken in relaying the news of her husbands death. However, it is quite the opposite. Initially she is distraught stricken with grief and exhausted. But these feelings give way to something more.Using simile, the writer paints a clear picture of a new beginningShe could see in the open square forward her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air (Clugston, 2010). These thoughts of a new beginning brought with it fear for Mrs. Mallard. She was dire of what she was feeling which could be described as joy or anticipation. Not wanting to seem heartless, in my opinion, she beat it back with her will, to no avail. She was at last free. Free to live for herself and to only think of her needs.This desire for freedom and self seems to be a running theme in many of Chopins literary works and can be seen in the character, Edna Pontellier, when she stands naked on the beach at Grand Isle. In a review by Lewis P. Simpson (1971), he quotes Seyersted who says that Edna symbolizes a victory of self-knowledge and authenticity as she becomes fully herself. I believe that this depicts Mrs. Mallard as well. Mrs. Mallard knew that her husband loved her and because of that she would still feel sorrow and grief, tho she would also feel relief. Relief because she knew she had the rest of her life ahead of her to live it as she pleased.Unfortunately for her, that relief was short-lived when in an ironic twist, her husband, Brently Mallard walked in the drift door alive and well and Mrs. Mallard died. There are many different genres of literature but in particular I really enjoyed Chopins short story The Story of an Hour. The textbook tells us, Literature restores the past, stimulates the imagination, glorifies the commonplace, evokes emotions and links feeling t o thinking, upholds a vision of the ideal, and explores significant human questions and reveals human nature (Clugston, 2010).This rings sure for this piece of literature. It brought together elements of imagination, symbolism, and metaphors that paint a vivid picture of a woman who feels repressed in her marriage and embraces the freedom she feels at the news of her husbands death. This piece allowed me to experience a new perspective. It allowed me to feel and connect with the story and its characters. It created a world that I could immerse myself into. References Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California Bridgepoint Education, Inc.Retrieved from https//content. ashford. edu/books/AUENG125. 10. 2/sections/sec2. 3 Kate Chopin A Critical Biography by Per Seyersted The Complete Works of Kate Chopin by Per Seyersted Kate Chopin Review by Lewis P. Simpson Louisiana History The Journal of the Louisiana historic Association , Vol. 12, No. 1 (Winter, 1971), pp. 86-88 Published by Louisiana Historical Association Article Stable URL http//www. jstor. org/stable/4231171 Wyatt, N. (1995). Biography of Kate Chopin. Retrieved from http//www. vcu. edu/engweb/webtexts/hour/katebio. hypertext mark-up language