文学分析

The Death theme on The Story of an Hour

In “The story of an hour”, Mrs. Mallard suffered great sorrow after hearing the death news of her husband, however, she felt somehow free for the death of her husband. She had the opportunity to embrace a new life. At the end of the story, Mrs. Mallard felt shocked then died for the return of her husband.

For my perspective, although this story doesn’t have complicated plot, it drives me into consideration about Feminism and the difference between historical and current condition of women. In addition, one question rise in my mind, what is the symbolic sign of Mrs. Mallard’s death?

Firstly, I consider it as the ironic reveal of Feminism. With Wiki, I could know Kate Chopin is now considered to have been a forerunner of the feminist authors of the 20th century. According to the explanation of her grandson, “Kate never considered herself as a feminist, she just strongly believe in the power of women.” Therefore, the exaggerating motional changes of Mrs. Mallard, the initial fear, and then infinite joy for free time are the ironic symbol to satirize the indifference and ignorance of women’s power at that time. 

Secondly, perhaps there are difference of death between Mr. Mallard and Mrs. Mallard. According to this story, Mrs. Mallard was heart-broken, even succumbed to death from extreme grief after hearing the death news of her husband

 (“…She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms. When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone…” –Para. 3, ibid).     

For my perspective, firstly it is because of intimate relationship of them, secondly it is related to the social background at that time. In a patriarchal society at that time, women are dependent on men and subordinate to the male members in the family. For Mrs. Mallard, the loss of her husband means the loss of dependence in psychological and economical ways. Therefore, it is no wonder that Mrs. Mallard would behave like that. In the end of the story, Mrs. Mallard is too fragile to bear the sudden appearance of her husband, which was supposed to be a piece of good news to bring her peaceful and reliant life again. 

With such exaggerate psychological and physical movement, Kate Chopin satirized the social background where women were in the subordinate status in the patriarchal society. In addition, she implied that the notion of women’s inferiority to men is deep-rooted in people’s mind. 

However, Kate Chopin also used the death of Mrs. Mallard to make the firm protest and to reveal the strong power of women they could have. 

In the story, after a storm of grief, Mrs. Mallard had the only and precious opportunity in her life to change herself and her subsidiary situation, as a compulsory duty of housewife required by social convention, in the family. In addition, she was eager to change herself. These changes reveal the notion of author that women were not as powerless as people had thought. Most of time, they just lacked the opportunity to reveal their own power. As result, Mrs. Mallard realized the husband’s death entitled her a reborn life

 (“Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously. She was beginning to recognize this thing that was approaching to possess her, and she was striving to beat it back with her will— as powerless as her two white slender hands would have been.” –Para 20, ibid).

Furthermore, the story presented the future expectation of Mrs. Mallard without her husband. Everything is beautiful and lovely in her eyes.

(“the tops of trees quivering with the new springs, the delicious breath of rain, the twittering of the sparrows…”)

With great hope and expectation of future life, Mrs. Mallard wished to live longer. The eagerness of freedom drove herself into a state of fantasy and ecstasy. All of these revealed the protest by Kate against the stereotyped thought of men and women. 

Unfortunately, the appearance of Mr. Mallard shattered her expectation of new life, new situation, and new status into pieces. Mrs. Mallard was so reluctant to go back her former life that she gone into final destruction this time. The death of Mrs. Mallard at the end of the story had profoundly deepened the notion of Kate, the individual fate against whole society and the pursuit of freedom for women. 

Conclusion

In The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin exactly narrated a story about life and death. Mrs. Mallard was the symbol of a victim in the patriarchal society. However, her tragic death made the strong condemnation to the patriarchal society and appealed to the pursuit of freedom, independence of women.