About the Story of an Hour

In the Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin the main character is a woman who suffers from heart trouble and whor's in deep suffering, named Mrs Mallard. When this woman is told about her husbandr's death she was initially emotional, and with knowing his death she reaped freedom and became filled with joy, and perhaps too much of it which swept her away.. Throughout this short story Kate Chopin, the author of The Story of an Hour portrays a lot of Feminist Criticism, defined as the literary analysis that arises from viewpoint of feminism, feminist theory and/or feminist politics. Which to this type of criticism occurred in the late nineteenth century right in the Mallards home. A critical feminist analysis of But when she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely (Chopin 146). Itr's as if sher's saying how oppressed she had been all her life, and now that she knows about her soon to be ever reaching freedom and happiness, sher's ecstatic. Then she goes on saying how There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow creature (Chopin 146). Mrs. Mallard did not want anyone controlling over her which in this case, was her husband. Instead she wanted her free will of being able to do what she felt like doing without anyone stopping her from doing it. Because of her oppressor she had to live her life as that. So when she finds out that he was announced supposedly dead because of an accident, all of a sudden she feels a sense of being free from any male oppression to which she had been a victim of since the day she and her husband exchanged vows. Mrs. Mallard was ready to live for herself and all on her own without having to live for her husband. When Mrs. Mallard said it over and over under her breath-- free, free, free(Chopin 146) she portrays a way of being or saying how she was so powerless before, but is now capable of doing something new now that sher's not being empowered by anyone. Then When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease--of the joy that kills (Chopin 147). The heart problem mentioned earlier comes into place, and ironically, everyone thinks she died for the opposite reason from the truth. This woman who thought she was free learns that she will be under a man again, and simply cant take it. Therefore her spirit had sunk in again to her reality which unfortunately had hit her too hard when finding out that shed still be trapped into that same marriage. At this moment some would assume that she was so happy to see her husband alive and perhaps have died of such shock while seeing him there standing. But readers know the major outcome or reason for her shock, because the dream she had of the future with feeling powerful and free all sorts of days that would be her own (Chopin 147) would now be impossible for her to live and enjoy. Louise was given as an example of what a woman suffering in a marriage was like, a wife who was not allowed her own identity nor freedom. Although The Story of an Hour may be a fiction story, it speaks loud and clearly about the feminist criticism women would feel in the 19th century. Having this criticism can help understand the story by knowing that some women would actually in reality go through this type of marriage within this century.

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