Through the character of Louise Mallard, Chopin is able to illustrate the negative effects of living in a society in which women were subordinate to their husbands.
I. Chopin illustrates the oppression of Louise by the setting in "The Story of an Hour".
A. Setting takes place in the house.
B. Setting occurs in an hour.
II. Chopin employs imagery to indicate Louise's realization.
A. Spring season indicates a new beginning.
B. Positive sensory details indicate a positive change.
III. Chopin utilizes symbols to illustrate Louise's circumstance.
A. Dead husband symbolizes a new life for Louise.
IV. Chopin uses irony for a unique ending to the story.
A. Louise dies at her husband's reappearance.
The oppression of women in the late nineteenth century is the predominant theme in Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour." Through the character of Louise, Chopin is able to illustrate the negative effects of living in a society in which women were subordinate to their husbands. This paper will examine how Chopin reveals this theme through setting, imagery, symbolism, and irony.
Chopin is able to illustrate the small world Louise lived in by having the entire setting take place in one room. After Louise hears the news of her husband's death, she retreats to her room and "would have no one follow her" (635). This indicates that she had only one place to which she could go to be alone. It is from this room that Louise able to look out at the world. It is also important to note that when Brently returns home, he opens the "front door with a latchkey," which indicates that Louise was literally locked inside her own house. We can see that the extent of Louise's entire world was her house. Of course, the story takes place in just one hour, as well. .
By placing Louise in such a limited setting, Chopin helps us understand how women had very little freedom. Within this setting, Chopin employs vivid imagery that indicates that Louise is approaching a change.