THE STORY OF AN HOUR
I believe Chopin's novel captures the essence of the struggle for freedom, equality, and independence in which women have been formally engaged for almost 150 years. Chopin subtly captures the intricate interior lives of a generation of women. Kate Chopin created . . . a woman who is a person." In the last year of the nineteenth century a woman succeeded where men had failed. Chopin's short story, "The Story of an Hour," openly portrays the true feelings of a woman who feels trapped inside her marriage. In the period in which she lived, there were only two alternatives for her to achieve the much desired personal freedom-either she or her husband must die! The famous proto-feminist tale "The Story of an Hour" Chopin sheds light on the frustrations, desires, and dreams of her own era and their reverberations today. "The Story of an Hour" is one of my favorite short stories.
Kate Chopin in 1894
Chopin
Frederic ChopinI love it because even though it is short, it tells so much! At least what's implied, and as a reader, you have to be able to read between the lines. I like stories that give their audience a chance to fill in the blanks, to have more power to interpret freely, and that way make the story more personal to them. "In The Story of an Hour," Kate Chopin creates a character that changes from "a woman afflicted with a heart trouble" to "a goddess of Victory." It is in her own use of language, imagery, symbolism, and descriptive details that Chopin illustrates the profound changes in Mrs. Mallard. "The Story of an Hour" offers nothing more than a snapshot of an episode, a very small episode in the life of Louise Mallard. But like a picture, a photograph of a captured...