Marital Oppression in The Story of an Hour Essay example

In The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, we are introduced to Mrs. Mallard, an unloving, heartless, woman who is overjoyed by the passing of her husbandÂâ€"or at least that is the common misconception. Mrs. Mallard although perceived as inhuman is actually more human than most would like to believe. While her actions may seem questionable or even to be condemned, they are hardly unthinkable in light of the issues involving marriage and the womans role throughout history. The story itself presents a valid argument in favor of Louise as she is portrayed as the oppressed wife finally set free after her husbands death. In the beginning of The Story of an Hour, Mrs. Mallard is just a typical wife. It is not until she hears of her husbands†¦show more content†¦In 1980, the United Nations summed up the burden of this inequality: Women, who comprise half the worlds population, do two thirds of the worlds work, earn one tenth of the worlds income and own one hundredth of the worlds property. However, to make a strong case, it is important to revisit the actual time in which this story was writtenÂâ€"the 1800s. At this time women had essentially no rights, they were mere objects of possession of their fathers and later their husbands. In 1800, patriarchy was still the norm. By law, women were property of their fathers first, then their husbands. Married women faced particular discrimination. (Women). Women could not conduct business for themselves, could not own land, and could not petition for divorce. In fact, Until the 1970s women constituted a distinct legal caste: laws subordinated women to men in the family, restricted womens access to public life, attached womens obligations to the domestic sphere, and denied women independent personhood. (Mink). In todays society where women can now become CEOs of major corporations, enter into contracts for property, and obtain a quickie divorce, the reality of a woman living in the 1800s is not only unthinkable but unacceptable. Yet even so, it is funny and ironic that the typical reaction of students, especially women, after reading The Story of an Hour, isShow MoreRelatedEssay on Marital Oppression In The Story Of An Hour by Kate Chopin1715 Words   |  7 PagesIn The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, we are introduced to Mrs. Mallard. She is portrayed an unloving, heartless, woman who is overjoyed by the passing of her husband-Ââ€" or at least that is the common misconception. Mrs. Mallard although perceived as inhuman, is actually more human than most would like to believe. While her actions may seem questionable or even to be condemned, they are hardly unthinkable in light of the issues involving marriage and the womans role throughout history. The storyRead MoreEssay A Silent Curse1012 Words   |  5 Pagesevident through the treatment and lack of affection given to the women of the house. Aunt Jennifers Tigers, a poem, by Adrienne Rich and Kate Chopins short story, The Story of an Hour, equally capture the underlying meaning of matrimony. Both literary works have similar themes portraying a womans struggle with oppression, marital burdens and the secret want for freedom. As the poem by Rich opens, Aunt Jennifer is creating a beautiful work of needlepoint. It is through the power of symbolismRead MoreLiterary Criticism of Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour1338 Words   |  5 PagesLiterary Criticism and the Story of an Hour Literary criticism gives the reader the tools to see literature in new ways. Each type focuses on different components of the story and asks the reader to examine a given text for ques. When an analysis is performed in a given critical style, a whole new perspective of the text becomes available. Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour is an account of a marriage in the late 19th century. Mrs. Louise Mallard is identified by her marriage and she allows herselfRead MoreWomen s Marital Oppression By Kate Chopin976 Words   |  4 PagesDismembering Untypical Cases: Women’s Marital Oppression â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is a short story in which the author, Kate Chopin, presents an interesting view on women s feeling in marriages. Louise Mallard is the main character of the story and rather than mourn her husband’s death, she fills with a confuzed joy as she feels freedom from her boring life. Once she finds out that her husband, Mr Brently, is still living, Mrs. Mallard’s heart explodes and she dies from sadness.While the idea thatRead MoreKate Chopin s The Hour1361 Words   |  6 Pagescritics who have analyzed â€Å"The Story of the Hour† has been whether or not Mrs. Mallard was oppressed in her marriage or if she was depressed due to the lack of time she and her husband spent together. Time plays a crucial role in the story, from the time they have spent together, to the period of the story, and to the short time in which the story takes place. â€Å"The Story of the Hour,† is a story written by feminist author, Kate Chopin in 1894 that deals with marital instability from a woman’s perspectiveRead MoreThe Story Of The Hour Identity Essay1050 Words   |  5 PagesWoman with Identity Issues in The story of the Hour As the title suggests â€Å"The story of the hour† is a story written by Kate Chopin which happens in an hour span of a woman. The story revolves around an ill young woman named Louis Mallard whose husband was involved in a tragic train accident. The author developed many themes around the incidents that happen in that one hour, which are very differently interpreted than the usual norm for the times when this story was written. The themes of life, deathRead MoreGender Roles During The 19th Century1492 Words   |  6 PagesWallpaper? Charlotte Gilman’s short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, originally printed on the New England Magazine became the model literature of feminism and women’s oppression after its publication in 1892. Gilman in her short story emphasises the roles of women and their oppression against a male dominant society during the 19th century. According to Elizabeth Carey’s article, â€Å"Controlling the Female Psyche: Assigned Gender Roles† and many other critics, Gilman’s story refers to the consequences andRead MoreA Summary Of The Awakening Conscience740 Words   |  3 Pagesrepresenting the life cycle. The painter projects that the woman will attempt to find her lost identity, or individualism, without her partner, otherwise known as the idea of the woman moving through a life cycle or her next stage of life. In â€Å"The Story of An Hour,† Chopin writes â€Å"[t]here would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with wh ich man and woman believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature† (line 45). At this point, the main character, Mrs. MallardRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Kate Chopin s The Story Of An Hour 1274 Words   |  6 PagesHaley Morrow Mrs. Crook AP English 25 Sept. 2015 Feminist Literary Theory in The Story of an Hour Women are no stranger to a socially constrained lifestyle and society, especially in the late 1800’s. Women were believed to live a certain way, fulfill certain roles and duties in the household, and to be extremely fragile and weak. This type of culture still exists today but not to the extreme that it once was. Kate Chopin, however, not afraid speak out against the implications of society breaks freeRead MoreThe Illinois Caucus For Adolescent Health (Icah) Is An1314 Words   |  6 Pagessexual health and parenting. Their belief in reproductive justice is an integral part of a broader human rights framework. They believe reproductive justice work must align with other social justice movements to address the multifaceted impact of oppression on at-risk youth. In all of their projects, ICAH focuses on serving marginalized adolescent groups, including LGBTQ, low-income, immigrant, homeless, and pregnant and parenting youth. ICAH currently has a project called Project CHAT – Change, Heal

What Are The Many Versions Of Love Stories That...

†¢ Part I: What are the many versions of love stories that Shakespeare tells in Midsummer Night’s Dream? - Midsummer Night’s Dream is full of love triangles and circles, people falling in and out of love with each other. The play begins with Hippolyta and Theseus preparing for their wedding, a couple whose union is representative of our more violent sides of desires- the violence that links them in love is constantly brought up. There is also Egeus who wants Hermia to marry Demetrius, the law on his side. Egeus is in charge of Hermia’s path, a conflict of love versus law arrises, as Hermia does not wish to abide by her father’s plan for her. Demetrius loves Hermia, but Hermia is in love with Lysander and refuses to marry Demetrius, planning to run away with Lysander and get married outside of Athens (a secret which they disclose to Helena, Hermia’s friend who is in love with Demetrius). Helena, who dreams that Demetrius will fall in love with her all over again, tells Demetrius of Hermia and Lysander’s plans to run away and get married. Demetrius, now knowing this information, follows Hermia and Lysander into the woods, Helena not far behind. Helena s is met with indifference, as the more she does to show her love to Demetrius, the more he hates her. - A separate set of characters is introduced to us in the woods, fairies who further complicate the love triangles and also have love tangles of their own- Titania was in love with Theseus and Oberon was in love withShow MoreRelatedModern-Day Adaptations of Shakespearian Plays3263 Words   |  14 Pagesformer self while taking on new qualities. When a story is adapted, either to a different medium than the one originally used or to a different time or place, the adaptation shows a new interpretation of the story and gives insights into the mindset of the individual that adapted it and the society that created that mind. Some of the most repeatedly adapted stories are those of Shakespeares plays. Already adaptations themselves, these stories have been retold over and over again ever since theRead MoreLa Story and Shakespeare1546 Words   |  7 Pagescomedian/actor/writer/director Steve Martins L.A. Story, there are many Shakespearean references. This is displayed on multiple levels. Sometimes it is subtle, like a borrowed plot device that bears a tiny resemblance to the play it was borrowed from. At other times, there will be a direct quote credited to Shakespeare himself. Or there will be a scene directly taken from a Shakespeare play, almost verbatim. The movie itself serves as a model of the influence that Shakespeare has had on filmmaking. The movieRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing 1240 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare was a very famous playwright in the 1500’s. He started off as an actor in 1590 and he worked his way up to being a shareholder; which means that he owned a proportion of the company and he could still be a part in the plays. Later in 1599 when The Globe Theater was built, he moved there and was a shareholder. During these times he wrote several plays for the theater. Some of these include Much Ado about Nothing, Twelfth Night, Love’s Labour’s Lost, and A Midsummer s Night’s Dream. InRead MoreWhy Did Freud Use Oedipis As Basis?1355 Words   |  6 PagesSHAKESPEARES PLAY-FREUD WHY DID FREUD USE OEDIPIS AS BASIS!! HAMLET Freudian theories are most prominent in Hamlet out of all Shakespeare’s plays. The most common repressed desire is that of Oedipus. In the myth Oedipus killed his father, and went on to marry his mother, without knowing who each of them were. In this myth the feelings are brought to light however in Hamlet they stay repressed. We only learn of it through the effects it causes. Hamlet is all about incest. After his father’s deathRead MoreFemale Sexuality in Shakespeare4830 Words   |  20 PagesQuestion Compare and contrast the representation of female sexuality in Cymbeline, the Sonnets, and one of the plays: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard II, Hamlet, Antony and Cleopatra, Measure for Measure or King Lear.       Both Cymbeline and A Midsummer Night’s Dream  (AMND)  are both set in a patriarchal environment where both genders grapple for control. Valerie Traub defines the distinction between gender sex and gender behavior as â€Å"Sex refers to the . . . biological distinctions betweenRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s The Tempest 2603 Words   |  11 PagesMalouin Malouin 11 Measuring a Life in a Drama When many people think of William Shakespeare, they think of plays like Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth or Hamlet. One of the most influential plays written by Shakespeare is not one listed above. The play that reflects the life and all of Shakespeare?s plays is The Tempest. This work was and still is influential in both America, Britain and around the world. Although William Shakespeare was an influential writer in American and British literature,Read More William Shakespeares Use of Song in the Early Comedies3188 Words   |  13 PagesShakespeares Use of Song in the Early Comedies Undertaken to determine what features make a song germane to the story in successful musical theater, this study outlines some characteristics of Shakespeares use of song. Chosen from the plays with which the present author is most familiar-the early comedies-are three substantial pieces (each headed in the play by either Song or sing, and each with at least two stanzas and refrain): You Spotted Snakes, Sigh No More, and Under the GreenwoodRead MoreLiterature and Language10588 Words   |  43 Pages1990) Helmut Hatzfeld was the first biographer of stylistics and his work in A Critical Bibliography of the New Stylistics (1953) was continued by Louis Milic’s Style and stylistics (1967), Richard Bailey and Dolores Burton’ s English Stylistics (1968) and James Bennett’ s A Bibliography of Stylistics and Related Criticism (1986). Until Helmut Hatzfeld brought out his bibiography the word â€Å"stylistics† had not appeared in the title of any English book about style although â€Å"stylistique† had appearedRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesthat helps you actively study and prepare material for class. 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Novel Room Analysis Free Essays

Jack’s mother however has a tougher time than her son even though she was once part of this society. Because of her isolation for seven years and he birth of her son, Jack’s mother struggles to readjust to her old life. Since her new life revolves around Jack her concern towards him at the beginning makes her adaptation a slower process but as she realizes his true importance in her life he becomes the reason for her sudden improvement. We will write a custom essay sample on Novel Room Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now The birth of Jack gave his mother a purpose to live and a reason to believe that escape was still a possibility. When Jack’s mother is being interviewed in front of a live audience, she explains Jack’s impact on her life, â€Å"Jack was everything. I was alive again, I mattered† (Donahue, 233). After her unsuccessful attempts to escape from Old Nick’s imprisonment, Jack’s mother loses all of her faith and gives up on believing that she could have a regular life once again. This only changes when her son is born and she acquires a new purpose, responsibility in her life. Because she was the only person present in Jack’s life, she had to pass on to him everything that she was capable of. This included simple things such as teaching him how to brush his teeth or how to take a bath. Jack would not have learned these things if it were not for his mother. She knows how important she is to him when she says, â€Å"l was just afraid Jack would get ill – me too, he needed me to be K† (233). This idea of being needed by someone is what Jack’s mother needs to keep going and to forget the circumstances that she was living in. As a consequence of being born hidden from society, Jack grew in an imaginary world which was created by his mother. This was done to prevent Jack from dreaming of a life that he could never have and to give his mother control over things. However, this only worked until they were rescued exposing Jack to the real world. When the interviewer asks his mother if it will be easier to untie raising jack in this new world she says it will be more difficult. She says, â€Å"Its actually harder. When our world was eleven foot square it was easier to control. Lots of things are freaking Jack right now. But I hate the way the media call him a freak, or an idiot savant, or feral, that word† (236). Jack’s mother is not only worried about her son’s future but she is also wondering whether this fantasy she created for her son was a great idea. This concern she has towards Jack is making her life miserable because she has not only to take care of herself but also of her son. The mother was locked up for seven ears and just like Jack she has to adapt to society once again. The way the media sees and talks about him affects her because she does not see him that way. She is afraid that he will suffer for the rest of life if this image others have of him does not change. The overwhelming pressure and responsibility Jack’s mother experiences causes her to try to take her life away. When Jack returns from a trip with his uncle he notices that something is wrong, â€Å"l see Ma’s pill bottles open on the table, they look mostly empty. Never more than two, that’s the rule, how could they be mostly empty, where id the pills go? ‘ (249). Swallowing the extra pills is the best way Jack’s mother sees to avoid having to face her problems. She knows attack’s adaptation to society will not happen suddenly and for it to move forward she needs to participate. However, she does not think that she is well and ready enough to play the supportive and strong mother figure Jack needs at this moment. The way she deals with her desperation by giving up on everything and everyone around her shows her lack of maturity. If she dealt with her problems as a mature adult she would not have done what she did because at first she loud have thought about Jack instead of herself. The constant attention and questioning from the media makes her doubt whether she would be up for the challenge of taking care of Jack. When she is being interviewed, Jack’s mother demonstrates how tired she is of the all the attention they have been getting lately, â€Å"I’m not a saint. Wish people would stop treating us like we’re the only ones who ever lived through something terrible. â€Å"(235). Besides doubting herself there were others including family members that disbelieved in her capacity. It is clear that her insecurity is worsened by other people’s pylons. When Jack’s mother realizes of the mistake she is done, she decides to start from the beginning with her son. When Jack sees her mother for the first time after her incident she says, â€Å"Guess what, Jack, you and me have our own For someone who is been through a lot, the idea of living on her own with a five year old child is not an easy decision. This strength she shows is a result of her immense love for her son. The mother at this point has already realized that she needs Jack just as much as he needs her. Jack instead of making her adaptation a slower process helps his mother o see that moving on by building a new life could be the answer to all of her problems. When Jack’s mother mentions to one of her counselors that Jack has been enough for her, she is told that this is a result of her becoming a mature and responsible mother (314). She is not the same woman she was before she was taken. Raising Jack is the only pride she has left and the only thing that keeps her going. Regardless all of the suffering and sacrifices, she raised a perfectly healthy child that has the potential to be successful in the future. The love Jack’s mother has for her son is the major factor for err improvement, well – being. How to cite Novel Room Analysis, Papers