Feminist Literary Criticism Of Kate Chopin’s The Story Of An Hour
Few things in a woman's nature were warming and peaceful, but a whole twist was made through the whole women nature and that was men. Men of course had to do their job to love there women, but based on the short story of The Story of an Hour Mrs.Mallard the female character of the story was treated wrongly by her husband, he was very possessive and didn't let her be a free woman, nor couldn’t Mrs.Mallard tell him how she felt towards it because she never realized it till the loss of her husband nor she couldn’t tell him about her illness because he hardly listened to her.
The short story was written by Kate Chopin, who wrote it to express what women are capable of holding with men to survive their daily lives. The majority of the short story follows a similar format, including a plot centered of a marriage relationship, a woman not being set free by her husband making her distress. When viewed through the lens of feminist criticism it becomes clear that The Story of an Hour, women were oppressed through unhappy marriages. Husbands held the power and often imposed their will onto their wives. The wives had no other choice but to bend to the husband's will. Even if the husband were gentlemen, women had no sense of freedom or individuality and were underlings to men.
The female character in The Story of an Hour Mrs. mallard, a distressed woman, with a patriarchal experience when it came down with the problem with her husband. She only had a heart problem, but finding out about her husband’s death did not intrigue her. Out of the sudden it became exciting yet very devastating to find out the man she once loved more like despised was now gone. Her heart felt at ease at the sudden news as words came out of her mouth “Free Free Free” those words in thought came to her that she was free, free to become more. To become more of an independent person to explore and go on with her adventure without him.
Mrs. Mallard personality is independent, she took up more of the opportunity to know what she’ll do next, she contemplates her newly found independence and is delighted over the thought of being free. This surprising reaction reflects the feeling women had in the late centuries had towards marriage. Through this, Chopin voices that marriage meant men had total control over women. But unfortunately, women had no control over their lives, they were slaves whose only main priority was to live for their owner (husband) rather than themselves. It brought an unhealthy balance between both in society and marriage causing Mrs. Mallard to be unhappy and in sorrow.
Mrs. Mallard's actions in what become noticeable to her when she hears of Mr. Mallard’s death is a change in the prospect before her. Instead of “hearing the story of her husband’s death, as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its importance,” she is appealed and motivated: “Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.” she was relieved. She was happy to know that she had the chance to be free. In which Mrs. Mallard suffers was by no means unusual for the time. What is ultimately unexpected and sudden in the story is the opportunity for and exploration of her experience of freedom, no matter how short.
Mrs. Mallard's knowledge of her unhappiness pictures Chopin’s commitment to a woman’s perspective and what it beholds beyond the view of male discussion. Mrs. Mallard was an example of an average housewife who was not allowed her own identity and freedom. This proves that marriage is in no need for a relationship and should be argued about, giving the Women knowledge on what men do to them, it speaks loud about the life of women in the late centuries and now.
