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The Story of an Hour


            
             The imagery used in Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour", provokes thoughts and senses in ways that allows the reader to imagine what is occurring. Although each person develops their own mental picture, it is through description and situational irony that the reader is actually able to visualize what is going on. For example, in paragraph five the use of language is so descriptive that the reader can imagine what Mrs. Mallard sees as she looks outside her window. Spring is found outside, it is a beautiful day, and there is a sweet smell of rain in the air. A person is singing a song in the background that Mrs. Mallard can barely hear, but nevertheless, it sounds refreshing. The sky is cloudy, but there are patches of beautiful blue that shine through the clouds. It is very strange that Mrs. Mallard would be able to recognize all the beautiful aspects found outside after being informed of her husband's death.
             Chopin's writing style allows the reader to visualize not only tangible things but also emotions. She gives a vivid image of Mrs. Mallard's surroundings outside but also shows the irony of her happiness with the fact that her husband is dead. However, she doesn't have these feelings right away. At first she is very confused and the reader is able to see this through the great description given. Her mood continuously flows from joy to sorrow. Some examples are, "But now there was a dull stare in her eyes". This shows sorrow however, at the same time she sees the blue patches in the sky with her "fair calm face." Her eyes then go to "keen and bright" which shows happiness. Again in paragraph twenty there is another wonderful use of imagery as Mrs. Mallard emerges from her room feeling overwhelmingly triumphant. As if she were making some sort of grand entrance .
             she "unwittingly carried herself as a goddess of victory." In this case she has won freedom that is apparently far more important than having the love of her husband.


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