Story of an Hour by Lawrence L. Berkove - 3379 Words

Lawrence L. Berkove (essay date winter 2000) SOURCE: Berkove, Lawrence L. â€Å"Fatal Self-Assertion in Kate Chopins ‘The Story of an Hour.’† American Literary Realism 32, no. 2 (winter 2000): 152-58. [In the following essay, Berkove contends that Chopins narration of â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is ironic rather than straightforward.] Kate Chopins thousand-word short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† has understandably become a favorite selection for collections of short stories as well as for anthologies of American literature. Few other stories say so much in so few words. There has been, moreover, virtual critical agreement on what the story says: its heroine dies, ironically and tragically, just as she has been freed from a constricting†¦show more content†¦A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of illumination. And yet she had loved him—sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter! What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being! â€Å"Free! Body and soul free!† she kept whispering. In these paragraphs, the storys omniscient narrator takes us into Louises mind. However, while the attitudes expressed are definitely Louises there is no textual justification for also ascribing them to the narrator. Further, it would be a mistake to project them onto Chopin, for that would confuse narrator with author, a move that denies Chopin the full range of literary technique, and that would reduce this brilliant and subtle work of fiction to behind-the-scenes sermonizing. It is significant, in the quotations first line, that Louise wishes to â€Å"live for herself.† This has been generally understood to imply that she had hitherto sacrificed herself for her husband; however, there is no evidence for this in the text. Nor is there any evidence that her husband had done her living â€Å"for her,† whatever that might mean. It is an ipse dixit comment, arbitrary, without support, one of several she makes. In the quotations second paragraph, Louise discounts love as secondary to self-assertion. While this is undoubtedly her position, thereShow MoreRelatedSymbolism as Found in Kate Chopins Story of an Hour Essay1532 Words   |  7 Pagesfound 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 comes when she seesRead MoreEssay on Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour911 Words   |  4 Pages Women should be powerful, beautiful and intelligence. Nevertheless, women in the eighteenth century were portrayed as servants did not have any say in anything just like the story of an hour by Kate Chopin, where even in a good marriage you could not do the things you wanted to do. What if their husbands died what would come of them? How would they feel? And the irony of gaining freedom but losing everything? In the eighteenth century, Women were portrayed as powerless beneath the men becauseRead MoreThe Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin Essay1528 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin is very intriguing, not only because of the emotional change Louise Mallard goes through the hour after her husband’s tragic death but also the way Chopin uses irony in the story. During this analysis of â€Å"The Story of an Hour† we will discuss the summary, plot, setting, tone, theme, point of view, emotions of Louise Mallard and other characters involved in the story. Chopin’s story uses the feelings of a married womanRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour And The Awakening2567 Words   |  11 PagesMorgan Roney Doctor Laura Buchholz April 14, 2015 ENG 112L Final Paper This paper will examine the life of Kate Chopin along with her writing style and theme in The Story of an Hour and The Awakening. Chopin has a unique writing style that shows throughout all of her works. Her works carry similar themes that include: women in search of independence, negative views of marriage, and self-assertion. While reading Chopin’s work, the reader will conclude that Chopin’s writing is very inspiring because