You are on page 1of 4

rowsNavigateStudyGuide

Style and Technique (Comprehensive Guide to Short Stories, Critical Edition)


Natureimageryunderlinestheplotandmeaning.Althoughauthorstypicallyassociatedeathwithautumn
andwinter,Brentleyssupposeddeathoccursinthespring.Thetreesareallaquiverwithnewlife.
Rainhasfallen,purifyingtheair,andnowthecloudsarepartingtoshowpatchesofbluesky.This
scenemirrorsLouisessituation.ThedeathofBrentleymarkstheendofthewinterofherdiscontenther
soulcanawakefromitstorpor.Shecanrealizethefullpotentialofherlife,soshe,likethetrees,feels
aquiverwithlife.Thecloudsagainrepresenthermarriedlife,whichcastshadowsonherhappiness,but
nowthehorizonofherlifeisclearing.Asshecontemplatesherfuture,sheimaginesspringdaysand
summerdaysonly,notautumnorwinterdays,becauseshelinksherselftotheseasonsofrebirthand
ripening.
Incontrasttotheworldofnatureisthecloistered,confininghouse,symbolofdomesticity.Inherown
roomshelooksthroughanopenwindow,anothersymbolofherfreedom.Thewindowdoesnot
intervenebetweenherandnatureandallowsherthescopeofinfinitevision.Sheherselflocksand
unlocksthedoortoherroom,admittingorexcludingwhomevershewants.ShehaswhatVirginiaWoolf
stressedassoimportant,aroomofherown.However,itisonlyatemporary,andfinallyaninadequate,
refuge.Sheleavesit,asshemust,torejoinhersisterandRichardsinunlockingherdoorshe
paradoxicallyconsignsherselftotheprisonofherhouse.Nowhereelseinthehouseisthereevena
glimpseofnature,and,incontrasttotheopenwindow,thefrontdoorislockedonlyBrentleyhasthe
key.Hecancomeandgoashepleases,butsheremainstrappedwithin.
Relatedtothiscontrastofnatureandhouseistheimageryofupanddown.Louisesroomisupstairs,
andfromthereshelooksatthetopsoftreesandhearsthesongsofbirdsontheroof.Herfreedomisthus
literallyelevating.Herleavingthisrefugeandgoingdownthestairsforeshadowsherlossoffreedom.
Shedescendsfromtheheavenofsolitudetothehellofmarriageagain,wheresheencountersher
husband.Nowdeathisheronlysalvation.Insteadofsoaringfreelylikethebirds,shecanescapeonlyby
sinkingstilllower,intothegrave.
The Story of an Hour Historical Context
TheWomanQuestion
"TheStoryofanHour"waspublishedin1894,anerainwhichmanysocialandculturalquestions
occupiedAmericans'minds.Oneofthese,referredtoasthe"WomanQuestion,"involvedwhichroles
wereacceptableforwomentoassumeinsociety.CharlesDarwin'sTheOriginofSpecies(1892)had
furtherincitedthiscontroversy.Darwin'stheoryofevolutionwasusedbybothsidesoftheissuesome
arguedthetheorysupportedfemaleselfassertionandindependence,othersfeltthetheoryprovedthat
motherhoodshouldbetheprimaryroleofawomaninsociety.
Althoughwomenwerenotgrantedtherighttovoteuntil1920,thestrugglefortheirenfranchisement
beganin1848withtheSenecaFallsConventioninNewYorkstate.Thepassageofthe15thAmendment
totheUnitedStatesConstitution,grantingenfranchisementtoblackmen,waspassedin1869.Several
prominentfeminists,includingElizabethCadyStantonandSusanB.Anthony,refusedtosupportthe
amendmentbecauseitdeniedwomenthevote.Othersuffragistsarguedthattheenfranchisementof
womenwouldsoonfollowblackenfranchisement.In1890,thesetwofactionsunitedintheNational
AmericanWomanSuffrageAssociation(NAWSA).Thatyear,Wyomingbecamethefirststatetogrant
womenthevote.Whilethesuffragemovementsoughtreform,mainstreamVictoriancultureregardedthe
selfsacrificingwife,dependentonherhusbandanddevotedtoherchildren,astheidealoffemininity.

The Story of an Hour Literary Style


Theactionof"TheStoryofanHour"issimple:Mrs.Mallard,whosuffersfrom"ahearttrouble,"is
informedaboutherhusband'sdemiseinatrainaccident.Atfirstsheisbesetbygrief,butthenshebegins
tofeelasenseoffreedom.Whensheleavesherroomanddescendsthestairs,herhusbandappearsatthe
frontdoor.Uponseeingherhusbandalive,LouiseMallard'sheartgivesoutandshedies.
PointofView
Thestoryistoldfromadetached,thirdpersonlimitedpointofview.ThereaderidentifieswithLouise,
theonlycharacterwhosethoughtsareaccessible.Atthebeginningofthestory,Louiseisincapableof
reflectingonherownexperience.AsLouisebecomesconsciousofhersituationandemotions,thereader
gainsaccesstoherthinkingwhichrevealshercharacter.Whenshegoesbackdownstairs,thereaderis
quicklycutofffromherthoughts.ThusChopinskillfullymanipulatesthenarrativepointofviewto
underscorethestory'stheme.
Setting
Thesettingof"TheStoryofanHour"isunspecified.IttakesplaceintheMallard'shouse,butChopin
doesnotoffermanycluesastowhereorwhentheactiontakesplace.Thisgenericsettingisconsistent
withthestory'sthematicfocusonthegeneral,commonlyacceptedviewsoftheappropriaterolesfor
womeninsociety.GivenChopin'sotherworksandtheconcernssheexpressesaboutwomen'srolein
marriageinthisstoryandinotherwritings,thereadercanassumethatthestorytakesplaceduring
Chopin'slifetime,thelatenineteenthcentury.However,Chopinwasknownforbeingalocalcolorist,a
writerwhofocusesonaparticularpeopleinaparticularlocale.InChopin'scase,herstoriesareusually
setamongtheCajunandCreolesocietiesinLouisiana.Forthisreason,"TheStoryofanHour"isusually
assumedtotakeplaceinLouisiana.
Irony
Chopinusesirony,atechniquethatrevealsthedistancebetweenwhatappearstobetrueandwhatis
actuallytrue,toconcludeherstory.In''TheStoryofanHour,"thereisincongruitybetweenwhatis
understoodtobetruebythecharacterswithinthedramaandwhatisunderstoodbythereader.What
killedMrs.Mallard?WhileBrentlyMallard,Richards,Josephine,andthedoctorsmightbelieveher
weakheartgaveoutuponsuchsuddenhappiness,readersareledtosuspectthatsuddengriefkilledher.
Atthestory'sconclusion,thestory'sfirstline,"KnowingthatMrs.Mallardwasafflictedwithaheart
trouble,"becomesironicreferringtoMrs.Mallard'sspiritualconditionandnottoamedicalcondition.
Thestory'sconcludingline,shedied"fromthejoythatkills,"isalsoironic.
Symbolism
Thestoryissetduringspring,andLouise's"awakening"issymbolizedbytherebirthofnature.Through
herbedroomwindow,Louiseseesnature,likeherself,"allacquiverwiththenewspringlife."The
internalchangestakingplacewithinLouisearemirroredbywhatsheviewswhensheisdistraughtwith
grief,rainfalls,andwhensherealizesherfreedom,theskiesclearup.Whatoccursoutsidethewindow
parallelswhatisoccurringtoLouise.
The Story of an Hour Compare and Contrast
1890s:ThesuffragistmovementunitesintheNationalAmericanWomanSuffrageAssociation
(NAWSA).Wyomingbecomesthefirststatetograntwomenthevote.
Today:AlthougheffortstoaddanEqualRightsAmendmenttotheUnitedStatesConstitutionfailedin
1982,womencontinuetogainpoliticalandculturalindependence.Asof1988,over56percentof
womeninthecountryholdjobs.
1890s:Thoughtherearemorewomenthanmenattendinghighschoolby1890,highereducationis
largelyclosedtowomen.Employmentopportunitiesforwomenincludehousekeeping,nursing,and
elementaryeducation.

Today:Opportunitiesinbotheducationandemploymentarevirtuallyequalformenandwomen,
althoughmanyissuesregardingequalityremain.
1890s:Thoughafewwomenwritershaveachievedsomedegreeofsuccess,itisstillconsidered
improperforawomantobeawriter.LouisaMayAlcottandSarahOrneJewettaretwowomenwriters
whogainsuccessandpopularity.
Today:Manywomenwritersofthelatenineteenthcenturyarebeingrediscovered,includingChopin,
whogainedpopularityduringthewomen'smovementofthe1960s.
The Story of an Hour Topics for Further Study
Researchmarriagelawinthe1890sandcomparethistocontemporarymarriagelaws.Howhasthe
institutionofmarriagechangedinthelastonehundredyears?
DiscussMrs.Mallardasasympatheticcharacterorasacruelandselfishcharacter.Howmightyourown
gender,age,classorethnicityinfluenceyourresponse?
DoyouthinkChopin'scritiqueoftheinstitutionofmarriage,asexpressedbyLouise,isapplicable
today?
Researchthesuffragemovementofthelatenineteenthcentury.HowdoLouise'sreflectionsofher
situationinsocietyreflecttheconcernsofthismovement?Whichconcernsarestillissuestoday?
The Story of an Hour Media Adaptations
"TheStoryofanHour,"wasadaptedin1985intoa56minutelongvideo,KateChopin:TheJoyThat
Kills,availablethroughFilmsfortheHumanities&Sciences.
Anaudiocassetteof''TheStoryofanHour,''isavailablethroughBooksinMotion(1992).
The Story of an Hour What Do I Read Next?
TheAwakening,KateChopin's1899novel,tellsofEdnaPointellier,atraditionalwifeandmotherwho
becomes"awakened"tosexualandspiritualindependenceafteranextramaritalaffair.
"TheYellowWallpaper"(1892)byCharlottePerkinsGilmanisthestoryofawomanwholacksan
outletforhercreativityanddescendsintomadness.
Tolearnaboutthesuffragettemovementandthestruggleforwomen'srightsinthelatenineteenthand
earlytwentiethcentury,seeEightyYearsandMore:Reminiscences(1992),bythepioneeringfeminist,
ElizabethCadyStanton.
AdrienneRich'spoetry,particularlyhercollection,DivingIntotheWreck(1973),exploresfeminism,
femalesexualityandwomen'srolesinsociety.
The Story of an Hour Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Bender,Bert,"KateChopin'sLyricalShortStories,"StudiesinShortFiction,VolXI,no.3,Summer,
1974,pp.25766.
Ewell,BarbaraC.,KateChopin,UngarPublishingCompany,1986.

Larsson,DonaldF.,"KateChopin,"inMagill'sCriticalSurveyofShortFiction,editedbyFrankN.
Magill,SalemPress,1981,pp.113136.
Pattee,FredLewis,"TheTriumphoftheShortStory,"inhisAHistoryofAmericanLiteratureSince
1870,CooperSquarePublishers,1968,pp.35584.
Seyersted,Per,KateChopin:ACriticalBiography,LouisianaStateUniversityPress,1969.
FurtherReading
TwentiethCenturyLiteratureCriticism,Vol.14,GaleResearch,1984.
ContainsausefulintroductionandpreviouslypublishedcriticismofChopin'swork,bothpositiveand
negative.
The Story of an Hour Bibliography (Comprehensive Guide to Short Stories,
Critical Edition)

Beer,Janet.KateChopin,EdithWharton,andCharlottePerkinsGilman:StudiesinShortFiction.New
York:St.MartinsPress,1997.
Beer,Janet,andElizabethNolan,eds.KateChopinsTheAwakening:ASourcebook.NewYork:
Routledge,2004.
Bonner,Thomas,Jr.TheKateChopinCompanion.NewYork:GreenwoodPress,1988.
Boren,LyndaS.,andSaradeSaussureDavis,eds.KateChopinReconsidered:BeyondtheBayou.Baton
Rouge:LouisianaStateUniversityPress,1992.
Koloski,Bernard.KateChopin:AStudyoftheShortFiction.NewYork:Twayne,1996.
Petry,AliceHall,ed.CriticalEssaysonKateChopin.NewYork:G.K.Hall,1996.
Skaggs,Peggy.KateChopin.Boston:Twayne,1985.
Stein,AllenF.WomenandAutonomyinKateChopinsShortFiction.NewYork:PeterLang,2005.
Taylor,Helen.Gender,Race,andReligionintheWritingsofGraceKing,RuthMcEneryStuart,and
KateChopin.BatonRouge:LouisianaStateUniversityPress,1989.
Toth,Emily.KateChopin.NewYork:WilliamMorrow,1990.
Toth,Emily.UnveilingKateChopin.Jackson:UniversityPressofMississippi,1999.

You might also like