“The Story of an Hour” captures the grief after the loss of Mrs. Mallard’s husband. Initially consumed by sorrow, she has an epiphany of newfound independence when she recognizes that she is now an individual. Her freedom is brief as her husband’s homecoming leads to her death from shock. The novel explores themes of independence, repression, and the intricacies of marriage, providing a devastating examination of the limitations imposed in the late 19th century.
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour Full Text – the Story of an Hour – Owl Eyes.” Www.owleyes.org, www.owleyes.org/text/the-story-of-an-hour/read/chopins-short-story#root-36.
The author uses Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” to illustrate an intriguing account of Louise Mallard, a woman whose life underwent metamorphosis after an unusual piece of news about the death of her husband. Chopin sets his story by describing Wu’s delicate health condition to make people process the information slowly and gently. The author reflects on the cautious anticipation that Louise suffers with several chosen words and images that describe the scratching and sound of the footsteps on the steps. Chopin illustrates Louise’s emotional progress through his images and words, from grief outbursts to regeneration symbols in spring imagery. The symbol of the epiphany that Louise feels about her freedom signifies that the story is headed to a turning point. The irony and pathos are found in the author’s conclusion with Louise’s death after she saw her spouse safe and sound. Chopin uses situational and dramatic irony to highlight the apparent misunderstanding of what Louise feels and wants near everyone in her vicinity.
Constance L. Shehan. “Gender Roles in American Life [2 Volumes] : A Documentary History of Political, Social, and Economic Changes [2 Volumes].” EBSCOhost, ABC-CLIO, 2018, eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=9fc8933b-37ad-4a87-a8b2693a0d9745c7%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=1732691&db=nlebk. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024
Shehan explores how shifts in gender roles have impacted various facets of American society. The set draws on various primary documents, including speeches, testimonies, manifestos, presidential remarks, congressional records, newspaper editorials, poems, short stories, personal letters, Supreme Court decisions, and legislative acts. By incorporating these diverse sources, readers gain insight into the individuals, events, and ideas that have shaped the changing landscape of gender roles in America. Throughout the volumes, Shehan highlights the voices of activists, commentators, politicians, and ordinary individuals who have been instrumental in challenging traditional gender norms and advocating for greater equality. These include military women, stay-at-home fathers, and a variety of ideological perspectives on gender in 21st-century America. The article focuses on people who have been key movers of the shift in gender norms in the US, from activists to commentators and ordinary people. Louise Mallard, who appears as a character in “The Story of an Hour,” undergoes a life-changing experience like other women. She also experiences the moment of realization and freedom that this story is about the voice of women’s independence and self-governance.
Khan, Imdad Ullah, et al. “Awakening into Selfhood: Feminine Oppression, Self-Discovery, and Illusive Freedom in ‘the Story of an Hour’ by Kate Chopin.” Women 1997-2032, vol. 14, Jan. 2022, pp. 15–29, eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=c35011d6-bdf6-4ce5-a1a6-ec2aa50d3b76%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=163838347&db=edb. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.
The article by Khan is a closer examination of the story from a feminist perspective. The authors argue that Chopin formulates her criticism of oppressive social institutions that hinder women’s soulfulness, giving a particular example of how these institutions affected Louise’s inner struggle and emotional journey. The analysis is confirmed by textual gathering, which includes characterization, imagery, and symbolism. For example, on page 18, they mention how Chopin articulates the themes of confinement and freedom by putting them in contrast with Louise’s life inside the box of societal obligations and her moment of freedom when her husband’s death was reported to her. On page 26, examples of the author’s use of characterization techniques are presented, and an analysis of the imagery and symbols employed by the writer is conducted. This in-depth review is meant to be a means for explaining the whole issue of society based on the domination and discrimination of women.
Alexander, Kirsty, et al. “Feminism and Solidarity on the Left: Rethinking the Unhappy Marriage Metaphor.” Political Studies, vol. 67, no. 4, Mar. 2019, pp. 972–91, https://doi.org/10.1177/0032321718817479. Accessed 22 Jan. 2020.
Dealing with this issue, Alexander et al. discuss the connection between feminism and left-wing factions, including the class consciousness in these groups. In opposition to a crude use of the ‘unhappy marriage’ metaphor, they aim at putting forward the concrete concept and providing it with a clear feminist vision of marriage as an institution. The authors cite some case studies from Scotland to give the audience access to the complexity behind solidarity relations, which occurred during the 2014-2012 Scottish independence referendum. In the traditional sense, the metaphor recognizes the obstacles and recommends new models that deal with a much more complex context of political solidarity. It is proposed that scholars re-examine the prevailing metaphors and develop new models of political partnerships through the article that explicitly explores the dynamics between the feminist movement and the left. Through the narrative “Story of an Hour,” the protagonist, Louise Mallard, experiences a sense of liberation upon getting the news that her husband died, for it means separation from the responsibilities linked to the institution of marriage. This article also accuses the traditional understanding of marriage of being an unhappy situation by calling for the reexamination of the metaphor to establish a new theory that will include feminist perspectives.
Offen, Karen. “Defining Feminism: A Comparative Historical Approach.” Signs, vol. 14, no. 1, Oct. 1988, pp. 119–57, eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=62225d59-97de-437e-b6d2-926664b043a8%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=edsjsr.3174664&db=edsjsr. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.
This article discusses the origins of feminism. This article is relevant to my research as it addresses one of the three controversies I am investigating. Although primarily historical, it helps to recognize the similarities between feminism and the challenges Chopin encountered during her lifetime. This page is valuable due to the abundance of information it includes. Although occasionally challenging to comprehend, that was the sole imperfection of this post. The essay is valuable due to the author’s valid statements, which I will use in my research.
Andersen, Thomas Barnebeck. “Does Democracy Cause Gender Equality?” Journal of Institutional Economics, vol. 19, no. 2, Apr. 2023, pp. 210–28, eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=254a8c5a-9519-4acd-97b7-de590cdfe234%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=2051667&db=ecn. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.
Andersen investigates the causal relationship between democracy and gender equality, utilizing the unforeseen Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) for natural experiments to identify the subject. The study, published in the Journal of Institutional Economics, offers a quantitative estimate based on a shock-based identification strategy. According to Andersen, gender equality increases by three-fifths of a standard deviation for every one standard deviation rise in democracy (p. 210). Additionally, qualitative evidence outlines the potential causal mechanism behind this relationship. The research sheds light on the influence of democratization processes on gender equality, contributing to theoretical understanding and policy discussions.
Ahmetspahić, Adisa, and Damir Kahrić. “It’s a Man’s World: Reexamination of the Female Perspective in Chopin’s ‘Désirée’s Baby’ and ‘the Story of an Hour.'” ESSE Messenger, vol. 29, no. 1, 2020, pp. 23–37, eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=8a39e210-b125-4a4b-8dc8-d60e398298c6%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=lkh&AN=145167647. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.
Ahmetspahić and Kahrić analyze Kate Chopin’s short stories “Désirée’s Baby” and “The Story of an Hour” from the perspective of a new historicist approach which criticizes the race and gender dynamics during the old South. The authors state that this type of storytelling allows us to know what a woman who could not access a male-controlled society may feel like. Thus, the critics use the idea and practice of the new historicism to examine how women’s experiences evolve within the specific social model, considering that both “Désirée’s Baby” and “The Story of an Hour” contribute to the critical and questioning view from a female perspective. Thus, Chopin’s works do not merely mirror the situation of women in her years or even predict feminist writing, but they also display strong themes related to women’s rights and the need for freedom.
Iancu, Anca-Luminiţa. “Individual Identity vs. Social Expectations: Gender, Choice, and Change in Kate Chopin’s Short Fiction.” East-West Cultural Passage, vol. 17, no. 2, Dec. 2019, pp. 89–108, eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=f8780582-e961-43d9-99ec-e992c180e848%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=133701111&db=ets. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.
Iancu, Anca-Luminiţa focuses primarily on the role of individuality and societal demands in Kate Chopin’s stories. She speaks about Chopin’s role as a novelist who went before her time and was already thinking about modernist themes of irony and choice. Iancu’s analysis narrows down to a discussion of three stories – “A Shameful Affair,” “The Kiss,” and “The Unexpected” – where characters struggle with the conflict of aspirations and expectations. She claims that through the examples of these characters, the author demonstrates that, although there is initially some reluctance to change genders on behalf of his or her characters, they eventually go against the norms (controlling gender relationships); instead, they show a sign of transformation which is expressed by a change in the self-conception of the characters at the end. Iancu refers in his analysis to Chopin’s subtleness in his presentation of women’s emancipation and the problem of concealed gender roles. These stories could further contribute to the discussion of gender roles and individual liberation in “The Story of an Hour,” which aligns with the broader themes examined by Iancu.
“Teaching Kate Chopin’s Short Fiction.” East-West Cultural Passage, vol. 15, no. 2, Dec. 2015, pp. 77–93, eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=d2bb3f16-a07a-4652-80aa-f56bd4c669f5%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=119591007&db=ets. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.
This article focuses on selecting educational strategies and activities for Kate Chopin’s short fiction teaching in American women’s writing course, particularly for college students. It covers the role of Chopin as one of the prominent American writers, a woman writer famous for breaking new grounds of womanhood by exploring women’s condition and aspirations, writing about issues that include allocated roles of women, marital difficulties, adultery, divorce, and suicide. The analysis implies that Chopin’s novellas based in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, not only represent the system of society’s thinking but also provide a challenging background for understanding women’s struggle in the late 19th century through their eyes. Building a more significant representation of the author’s feminist outlook, gender disparity, and class discrimination in her short prose text will be the essay’s explication purpose. Through this resource, instructors gain a thorough understanding and perception of teaching Chopin’s literature by the landscape of women’s writing in America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The focus has to be on the “story of an hour” and not any other of Chopin’s text.
Mavis Chia-Chieh Tseng. “‘Joy That Kills’: Female Jouissance in Kate Chopin’s ‘the Story of an Hour.’” Short Story, vol. 22, no. 2, 2020, pp. 29–38, eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=42355750-0a04-4651-9eca-1606db3c9787%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=122008087&db=lkh. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.
In the essay, Mavis Chia-Chieh Tseng points out the female jouissance and disentailment portrayed by the loss of Mrs. Mallard’s husband and how she dealt with the grief. It indicates the pleasure that results in death as she confronts her prison within patriarchal relationships. Huizhen also speaks about the allegoric interpretation of divine rape; women need to “reinvent” their association with God and defy the “superiority” approach in theology. She speaks about her experience of an epiphany when she recognized herself and felt that her husband coming back to her broke the restrictions she had faced before, limiting her self-expression and freedom. Tseng’s exegesis, to some extent, filed gender relations and lived the ratio struggle in the story. The given writing provides beneficial imagery for “feminist criticism” of “The Story of an Hour” and deepens our interpretations of the theme and implications.
Most of the articles discovered were highly precise and concise based on the criteria I used to evaluate them. All the papers listed above meet my research demands due to their veracity and provided support. There were difficulties in locating exact publications to support the research questions. Highly educated individuals from prestigious universities authored most publications. The research was relatively easy, but finding the appropriate sources was challenging.
Ahmetspahić, Adisa, and Damir Kahrić. “It’s a Man’s World: Reexamination of the Female Perspective in Chopin’s ‘Désirée’s Baby’ and ‘the Story of an Hour.'” ESSE Messenger, vol. 29, no. 1, 2020, pp. 23–37, https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=8a39e210-b125-4a4b-8dc8-d60e398298c6%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=145167647&db=lkh
Alexander, Kirsty, et al. “Feminism and Solidarity on the Left: Rethinking the Unhappy Marriage Metaphor.” Political Studies, vol. 67, no. 4, Mar. 2019, pp. 972–91, https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=f0dfef96-f36b-405e-8850-fc778e17823a%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=138994339
Andersen, Thomas Barnebeck. “Does Democracy Cause Gender Equality?” Journal of Institutional Economics, vol. 19, no. 2, Apr. 2023, pp. 210–28, https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=254a8c5a-9519-4acd-97b7-de590cdfe234%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ecn&AN=2051667
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour Full Text – the Story of an Hour – Owl Eyes.” Www.owleyes.org, www.owleyes.org/text/the-story-of-an-hour/read/chopins-short-story#root-36.
Constance L. Shehan. “Gender Roles in American Life [2 Volumes] : A Documentary History of Political, Social, and Economic Changes [2 Volumes].” EBSCOhost, ABC-CLIO, 2018, https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=9fc8933b-37ad-4a87-a8b2-693a0d9745c7%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=1732691&db=nlebk
Iancu, Anca-Luminiţa. “Individual Identity vs. Social Expectations: Gender, Choice, and Change in Kate Chopin’s Short Fiction.” East-West Cultural Passage, vol. 17, no. 2, Dec. 2019, pp. 89– https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=f8780582-e961-43d9-99ec-e992c180e848%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=133701111&db=ets
—. “Teaching Kate Chopin’s Short Fiction.” East-West Cultural Passage, vol. 15, no. 2, Dec. 2015, pp. 77–93, https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=d2bb3f16-a07a-4652-80aa-f56bd4c669f5%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=119591007&db=ets
Khan, Imdad Ullah, et al. “Awakening into Selfhood: Feminine Oppression, Self-Discovery, and Illusive Freedom in ‘the Story of an Hour’ by Kate Chopin.” Women (1997-2032), vol. 14, Jan. 2022, pp. 15–29, https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=c35011d6-bdf6-4ce5-a1a6-ec2aa50d3b76%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=edb&AN=163838347
Mavis Chia-Chieh Tseng. “‘Joy That Kills’: Female Jouissance in Kate Chopin’s ‘the Story of an Hour.’” Short Story, vol. 22, no. 2, 2020, pp. 29–38, https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=42355750-0a04-4651-9eca-1606db3c9787%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=122008087&db=lkh
Offen, Karen. “Defining Feminism: A Comparative Historical Approach.” Signs, vol. 36, no. 1, Oct. 2021, pp. 119–57, eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=62225d59-97de-437e-b6d2- https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=62225d59-97de-437e-b6d2-926664b043a8%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=edsjsr.3174664&db=edsjsr