Essay about Symbolism in “The Story of an Hour” - 671 Words

The symbols and imagery used by Kate Chopins in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† give the reader a sense of Mrs. Mallard’s new life appearing before her through her view of an â€Å"open window† (para. 4). Louise Mallard experiences what most individuals long for throughout their lives; freedom and happiness. By spending an hour in a â€Å"comfortable, roomy armchair† (para.4) in front of an open window, she undergoes a transformation that makes her understand the importance of her freedom. The authors use of Spring time imagery also creates a sense of renewal that captures the authors idea that Mrs. Mallard was set free after the news of her husbands death. Right from the moment Louise Mallard hears of her husbands death, Kate Chopin dives into a her†¦show more content†¦Immediately after the news of her husbands death, Mrs. Mallard races upstairs into her room where she settles into â€Å"a comfortable, roomy armchair† (para.4). The armchair symbolizes the rest from the oppressive life she had and freedom from societys expectations. Since it was tradition for women to be married by a certain age, Louise Mallard must have obligated to marry Brently. Sitting in the armchair, she gazes out of the window and starts indulges in deep thought, which establishes her as an intelligent individual. The open window from which Louise gazes is symbolic for her freedom and the good fortune that she is now presented with. Her attention to the blue sky, fluffy clouds, tree tops and the delicious breath of rain denote her newly found inner well-being. The writers use of language is well-chosen as it explicitly portrays Mrs. Mallards true feelings. By capturing all the senses, the imagery created represents Louises new life and establishes her as a round character. The open window provides a clear and bright view into the distance of Louise’s own bright future, which was obstructed by the demands of her husband. As Mrs. Mallard left the room, there was a feverish triumph in her eyes, and she carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory (para.19). â€Å"The goddess of victory† (para.19) embodies Louises triumph over repression, over the â€Å"powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence...right to impose a privateShow MoreRelatedSymbolism in The Story of an Hour758 Words   |  4 PagesSymbolism in the â€Å"Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin For this lesson I read The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin. Although there are many literary devices used in The Story of an Hour, I have decided to write my essay on the use of symbolism. The literary device symbolism is a technique used to represent ideas and events by using significant or important things that stand out in the story. A few things that stood out most in the story would be the comfortable chair, and Mrs. Mallards heartRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour Symbolism Essay1089 Words   |  5 Pages The Story of an Hour, by Kate Chopin, is a wonderful short story filled with many different peculiar twists and turns. Written in 1894, the author tells a tale of a woman who learns of her husband’s death, but comes to find joy in it. Many of the things Kate Chopin writes about in this story symbolize something more than just the surface meaning. Through this short story, told in less than one thousand one hundred words, Kate Chopin illustrates deeper meanings through many different forms of symbolismRead MoreSymbolism In Kate Chopins The Story Of An Hour1013 Words   |  5 PagesWhile most of Kate Chopin’s short stories were well received, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† was originally rejected by publishers until 1894 when Vogue decided to publish the short story. 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These main symbolsRead MoreSymbolism as Found in Kate Chopins Story of an Hour Essay1532 Words   |  7 PagesSymbolism as found in Kate Chopin’s â€Å"Story of an Hour† In Kate Chopin’s â€Å"Story of an Hour† the protagonist, Louise Mallard, is going through a life-changing event that is brought on by the news of the death of her husband, Brently Mallard. During this hour, she is told of her husband’s death, grieves for a short time, discovers that she will now be able to â€Å"live for herself† (16) and is finally able to free herself of the restrictive marriage she has been living in. The end of her last hour comesRead MoreThe Use of Symbolism to Foreshadow the Future in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour and Toni Cade Bambaras The Lesson1673 Words   |  7 PagesThe Use of Symbolism to Foreshadow the Future in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour and Toni Cade Bambaras The Lesson Often authors use signs to foreshadow events that will happen in the future in their stories. For example an author might write As he was walking down the dark eerie path dark skies began to form . Here the writer uses a usually negative sign to foreshadow a negative future. This is the most common way for authors to foreshadow in a story, but it isnt the only way. In someRead MoreEssay about Comp and Lit Comparison of Blue+Yellow/Story of an Hour1296 Words   |  6 Pagesthe short story â€Å"the Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin and the short story â€Å"blue + yellow† by Chris Killen compare in many ways. These two stories use the same literary device strongly such as imagery. Imagery is a literary device in which the author uses words and phrases to paint a picture in the readers head throughout the story. These two short stories are written with very descriptive language to help paint a picture of the occurrences in the story and describe a scene. These two st ories also contrastRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin855 Words   |  4 PagesThe Story of an Hour In the â€Å"Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin, is about pleasure of freedom and the oppression of marriage. Just like in Kate Chopin’s story, inside most marriages, even the ones that seem to be the happiest, one can be oppressed. Even though, one might seem to be happy deep inside they miss the pleasure of freedom and living life to the fullest. Just like, in this story Mrs. Mallard feels trapped and when she hears about her husband’s death she first feels distraught, but ultimatelyRead More The Story of an Hour and The Hand Essay1161 Words   |  5 PagesThe â€Å"Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin and ‘†The Hand† by Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette are similar in theme and setting. Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette and Kate Chopin create the theme of obligatory love and the unhappiness it entails. Both stories illustrate the concealed emotions many women feel in their marriage yet fail to express them. The two stories take place in a sacred room o f the house and both transpire in a brief amount of time. The differences between the two stories are seen through theRead MoreThe Theme Of Loneliness1549 Words   |  7 PagesBrill by Katherine Mansfield what they both have in common is the literary device theme loneliness. Theme is the general idea or insight revealed in a narrative. These two stories are also different from the style of writing these two authors wrote how to tell their stories. Loneliness is introduced in the beginning of the short story â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† by Hemingway. The deaf old man, with no wife and only a niece to care for him, is noticeably lonely. The younger waiter, upset that the old