The first time I read this short story, I laughed out loud. Literally. And also took a minute to actually work out what actually happened. Chopin packs in such a punch in the last line and when Mrs. Mallard is surprised about her new found freedom, the reader is too.
The use of description further deepens the surprise that the reader experiences. Josephine and Richards make sure they break the news “gently,” with “veiled hints,” suggesting that because Mrs. Mallard is so fragile and dependent upon her husband that the news of his death might cause heart trouble. The fact that Richards checks twice to make sure Mr. Mallard is really dead leaves no room for doubt that Mr. Mallard might be alive. Mrs. Mallard experiences, as any other wife would, a “storm of grief” and weeps with “wild abandonment.” She even sobs by herself in her room, her eyes filled with a “dull stare.” The reader would not suspect that she was anything other than appropriately upset about her husband’s death. And even Mrs. Mallard does not expect that anything is amiss, until she fearfully begins to “recognize this thing” and strives to beat it back. Up until this point, it seems as if Mrs. Mallard might be beating back the depression, the sadness that might accompany her reaction to discovering that she is a widow. But then she realizes it and embraces the happiness and excitement that accompanies it, her eyes “keen and bright,” her pulse beating fast, and her body warmed by the “coursing blood.”
Details about the spring outside suggest the upcoming happiness and joy that Mrs. Mallard might be able to experience, but because of combination of the alternative details, the social convention, and the lack of detail of her relationship with her husband, the reader does not suspect that she, instead of sad at the loss of her husband, is actually relieved. Chopin allows the reader to discover along with Mrs. Mallard for the first time what she actually feels in response to his death.
I was really surprised at the ending, as I mentioned. But I think it’s important to realize the setting that Kate Chopin was writing from. Very much the feminist, she wanted her audience to realize that females did not have to be married to be “fulfilled” or happy and even more importantly, women were not always happy in their marriage and often wanted to be independent. She refers to the protagonist of her short story as “Mrs. Mallard” in the beginning. Only after her revelation concerning her new found freedom does the audience learn her first name, “Louise.” In today’s time and social context, I feel that readers can understand this desire, to be free of any restraints that might tie women down, or at least seem to. Women today are delaying marriage and, even more often, delaying having children. Women insist that going to college and getting a successful occupation is more important than being married and having a family. I believe that it does not have to be one or the other, but that it is possible to do both. It is possible to be both the college graduate and have a family, possible to both have a family and be a successful working mother. But I personally feel that having a family is more important. Eventually one does have to prioritize and for me, being a mother is more important than making a six-digit income.
I really like Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour. I like the way that she completely surprises me and makes me kind of sit back for a minute, working out what actually happened. I like the intense descriptions that perfectly set the scene. I like the message that it is alright for females to be independent, to stand on their own, and it also emphasizes many of the feelings that women have, I think, concerning marriage. But I don’t like how Chopin completely dismisses the contribution of love in a marriage and portrays the selfishness of Louise. Selfishness cannot exist in marriage and for marriage to be successful, love must be there. I feel that Chopin questions all of us, whether or not we are free, free to pursue any of our desires, or are we enslaved by a social norm or institution of today’s world.
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I enjoyed reading your perspective on the story, Erin. I didn't catch the significance of "Mrs Mallard" to "Louise" when I first read the story. Good point.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed Chopin's writing style. Since we've been talking about narratives, I've started noticing more discriptive details in literature. The author does a great job with this. When she is illustrating Louise's transformation or realization, she uses the sites and sounds around the character to pull the reader further into the scene.
I really had no idea what was happening in this story until I read your responses and then read it again. When I figured it out, I laughed! I understand Chopin’s point in it, but you have to admit that the irony she uses is funny. I used to really hate her writing (I read The Awakening in high school), but this has given me a new perspective I was able to connect with. I do grow tired of her stories evolving around wives (I haven’t read all her works to know if she ventured beyond that), but I guess, to prove her feministic points, there was not a whole lot more to venture beyond in her time. I connected with it on a different point—being a boy—and can see that there are really many ways to demonstrate her theme in different walks of life and lifestyles.
ReplyDeleteThe Mrs. Mallard before her husbands death and the Louise that the readers see shortly thereafter stand in stark contrast to one another. The differences between the two are something to behold. When one first reads the story one might think that Mrs. Mallard may die of a broken heart shortly after her husband’s death but in fact, the event is quite liberating to her. Instead of being restricted by her husband’s death she is free to live her life the way that she wants. She buys new clothes, goes to fancy restaurants, and attends plays--all things that she wasn’t able to do before. Your ideas about realizing who the author is and who she is speaking to helped me understand this story better and also understand what the author is trying to say.
ReplyDeleteWell. Everybody loves some good irony. Sort of. The best kind of irony makes you cringe a little because it drives you crazy, and this is in that category. I’m not sure whether to be depressed or happy. I’m a little depressed. I know it’s not that big a deal, and that is was trying to prove a point, but I got all caught up in her elation, in her sense of freedom! Yes! She’s free! And then—done. It’s done. Surprise! Should’ve seen it coming. I have no one to blame but myself. I’m also feeling—oooh. That’s so clever. So clever. Man. Kate Chopin is a genius.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's what you call ironic. :) This story really reminds me of other short stories I read last year, where the endings are so startling, you're left in a hazy confusion. For example, in "The Destroyers," the last line is about a man laughing about an utterly depressing situation. Those are the endings that knock you off balance and make you think.
ReplyDeleteErin, I really like your thoughts on the use of her name. I didn't catch that while I was reading. I don't mean to put down any loss of loved ones, but the complete normalcy of the world after hearing about her loss seemed to be the freeing factor for Louise. She noticed all the nice things going on outside, and grief didn't stick with her. Her grief didn't seem normal to begin with. Chopin mentions that she immediately burst into tears when any other wife would normally just stand there in denial. Maybe there's something wrong with her relationship. Oftentimes disease in a story conveys more than just the disease. In this story, Louise suffers from heart disease...coincidence? But what is Chopin saying about the bigger picture?
I read this story last year and loved it! The ending is so shocking and abrupt the reader is left startled. You have to let the whole story wash back over you and sink in. Chopin uses strong sensory details and is great at playing with our emotions. When Louise finally realizes she is free we feel elated. Her freedom is cut short and we are, at first, shocked then rather depressed. It's sad she thought she had a second chance to live her life the way she wanted. She was, in a sense, reborn, only to die a few short minutes later. I hope we can realize when we are being repressed before it is too late.
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