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The Story Of An Hour

 

            Kate Chopin uses many different elements to create the theme of "The Story of an Hour." Irony, symbolism, and foreshadowing are important elements that create the theme. The theme of "The Story of an Hour" is the frailty of life. .
             Irony is the first element of "The Story of an Hour." The main irony in the story is that Mrs. Mallard has a new life created and then destroyed for her, all in an hour. She sees a life of freedom ahead of her because of the death of her husband. This new life is then horribly ripped away from her when he walks through the door alive. His appearance then kills her. Another example of irony is that her new life was created by death. Her husband was listed as killed in a railroad accident, and she saw his death as a fresh start on a free life. "She saw that beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely," says Chopin. The third irony is the fact that she does feel joy at the death of her husband, which is normally quite unexpected. Even her sister and her husband's friend Richard expected her to be heartbroken, and they were fearful for her health. Instead she was so happy, it killed her when he appeared alive. Finally, after hearing of his death, she prayed that her life would be long when "only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long." Soon after, she dies. Even the title of the story is ironic when the end result of the story is known. A new life was created and destroyed all within an hour, showing how frail life is.
             There are also several instances of symbolism in this story that help the theme of frailty of life. The "new spring life" that Chopin mentions symbolizes the new life that Mrs. Mallard feels for herself. The way that Richards and Mrs. Mallard's sister break the news to her symbolizes the way women were viewed during Chopin's lifetime. In those days, women were viewed as very frail and weak.


Essays Related to The Story Of An Hour

1. "The Story of an Hour"

In the short story, "The Story of an Hour," by Kate Chopin the primary interest of the story is in the character of Mrs. ... When initially reading the short story "The Story of an Hour," I believed the thesis above to be accurate. ... Kate Chopin uses a variety of symbols throughout the plot of the short story, "The Story of an Hour." ... Mallard as the primary interest of the short story, "The Story of an Hour." ... "The Story of an Hour" is a great short story to discuss amongst readers because of the wide range of possibilities and interpretations. ...

  • Word Count: 666
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2. The Story of an Hour

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  • Word Count: 686
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4. The Story of An Hour

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The Story of an Hour "The Story of an Hour" is emphatically a coming of age anecdote, written by Kate Chopin in eighteen ninety-four. Louise Mallard is the variance protagonist of "The Story of an Hour," who is faced with her husband Richard's death, in a time when women had to have a man in their lives in order to be respected and survive. ... The title "The Story of an Hour" first of all reflects how time is an untamed animal that picks and chooses its victims. ... "The Story of an Hour" also brings another premise to the scene, with how humans attempt to control one another to ther...

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  • Word Count: 704
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The Freedom of an Hour Freedom of body and soul is the most important right any person can have. ... In "The Story of an Hour," by Kate Chopin, Mrs. ... The story quickly shows that Mrs. ... The title, "The Story of an Hour," shows that this is actually the story of the only hour in Mrs. ... Mallard in "The Story of an Hour." ...

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