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Analysis of Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on July 28, 2021

Originally entitled “The Dream of an Hour” when it was first published in Vogue (December 1894), “The Story of an Hour” has since become one of Kate Chopin’s most frequently anthologized stories. Among her shortest and most daring works, “Story” examines issues of feminism, namely, a woman’s dissatisfaction in a conventional marriage and her desire for independence. It also features Chopin’s characteristic irony and ambiguity .

The story begins with Louise Mallard’s being told about her husband’s presumed death in a train accident. Louise initially weeps with wild abandon, then retires alone to her upstairs bedroom. As she sits facing the open window, observing the new spring life outside, she realizes with a “clear and exalted perception” that she is now free of her husband’s “powerful will bending hers” (353). She becomes delirious with the prospect that she can now live for herself and prays that her life may be long. Her newfound independence is short-lived, however. In a surprise ending, her husband walks through the front door, and Louise suffers a heart attack and dies. Her death may be considered a tragic defeat or a pyrrhic victory for a woman who would rather die than lose that “possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being” (353). The doctors ironically attribute her death to the “joy that kills” (354).

BIBLIOGRAPHY Chopin, Kate. The Complete Works of Kate Chopin. Edited by Per Seyersted. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1969. Koloski, Bernard. Kate Chopin: A Study of the Short Fiction. New York: Twayne, 1996. Seyersted, Per. Kate Chopin: A Critical Biography. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1969. Toth, Emily. Kate Chopin. New York: Morrow, 1990

A Summary and Analysis of Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

Some short stories can say all they need to do in just a few pages, and Kate Chopin’s three-page 1894 story ‘The Story of an Hour’ (sometimes known as ‘The Dream of an Hour’) is a classic example. Yet those three pages remain tantalisingly ambiguous, perhaps because so little is said, so much merely hinted at. Yet Chopin’s short story is, upon closer inspection, a subtle, studied analysis of death, marriage, and personal wishes.

Written in April 1894 and originally published in Vogue in December of that year, the story focuses on an hour in the life of a married woman who has just learnt that her husband has apparently died.

‘The Story of an Hour’: plot summary

What happens in that brief hour, that story of an hour? A married woman, Mrs Louise Mallard, who has heart trouble, learns that her husband has died in a railroad accident.

Her sister Josephine breaks the news to her; it was her husband’s friend Richards who first heard about the railroad disaster and saw her husband’s name, Brently Mallard, at the top of the list of fatalities. Her first reaction is to weep at the news that her husband is dead; she then takes herself off to her room to be alone.

She sinks into an armchair and finds herself attuned to a series of sensations: the trees outside the window ‘aquiver with the new spring life’, the ‘breath of rain’ in the air; the sound of a peddler crying his wares in the street below. She finds herself going into a sort of trancelike daze, a ‘suspension of intelligent thought’.

Then, gradually, a feeling begins to form within her: a sense of freedom. Now her husband is dead, it seems, she feels free. She dreads seeing her husband’s face (as she knows she must, when she goes to identify the body), but she knows that beyond that lie years and years of her life yet to be lived, and ‘would all belong to her absolutely’.

She reflects that she had loved her husband – sometimes. Sometimes she hadn’t. But now, that didn’t matter: what matters is the ‘self-assertion’, the declaration of independence, that her life alone represents a new start.

But then, her sister Josephine calls from outside the door for her to come out, worried that Louise is making herself ill. But Louise doesn’t feel ill: she feels on top of the world. She used to dread the prospect of living to a ripe old age, but now she welcomes such a prospect. Eventually she opens the door and she and Josephine go back downstairs.

Richards is still down there, waiting for them. Then, there’s a key in the front door and who should enter but … Mrs Mallard’s husband, Brently Mallard.

It turns out he was nowhere near the scene of the railroad accident, and is unharmed! Mrs Mallard is so shocked at his return that she dies, partly because of her heart disease but also, so ‘they’ said, from the unexpected ‘joy’ of her husband’s return.

‘The Story of an Hour’: analysis

In some ways, ‘The Story of an Hour’ prefigures a later story like D. H. Lawrence’s ‘ Odour of Chrysanthemums ’ (1911), which also features a female protagonist whose partner’s death makes her reassess her life with him and to contemplate the complex responses his death has aroused in her.

However, in Lawrence’s story the husband really has died (in a mining accident), whereas in ‘The Story of an Hour’, we find out at the end of the story that Mr Mallard was not involved in the railroad accident and is alive and well. In a shock twist, it is his wife who dies, upon learning that he is still alive.

What should we make of this ‘dream of an hour’? That alternative title is significant, not least because of the ambiguity surrounding the word ‘dream’. Is Louise so plunged into shock by the news of her husband’s apparent death that she begins to hallucinate that she would be better off without him? Is this her way of coping with traumatic news – to try to look for the silver lining in a very black cloud? Or should we analyse ‘dream’ as a sign that she entertains aspirations and ambitions, now her husband is out of the way?

‘The Dream of an Hour’ perhaps inevitably puts us in mind of Kate Chopin’s most famous story, the short novel The Awakening (1899), whose title reflects its female protagonist Edna Pontellier’s growing awareness that there is more to life than her wifely existence.

But Louisa Mallard’s ‘awakening’ remains a dream; when she awakes from it, upon learning that her husband is still alive and all her fancies about her future life have been in vain, she dies.

‘The Story of an Hour’ and modernism

‘The Story of an Hour’ is an early example of the impressionistic method of storytelling which was also being developed by Anton Chekhov around the same time as Chopin, and which would later be used by modernists such as Katherine Mansfield, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf.

Although the story uses an omniscient third-person narrator, we are shown things from particular character perspectives in a way that reflects their own confusions and erratic thoughts – chiefly, of course, Louisa Mallard’s own.

But this impressionistic style – which is more interested in patterns of thought, daydreaming, and emotional responses to the world than in tightly structured plots – continues right until the end of the story.

Consider the final sentence of the story: ‘When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease – of joy that kills.’ The irony, of course, is that Louisa appears to have accepted her husband’s death and to have taken his demise as a chance to liberate herself from an oppressive marriage (note Chopin’s reference to the lines on her face which ‘bespoke repression and even a certain strength’ – what did she need that strength for, we wonder?).

So it was not joy but disappointment, if anything, that brought on the heart attack that killed her. But the (presumably male) doctors who attended her death would not have assumed any such thing: they would have analysed her death as a result of her love for her husband, and the sheer joy she felt at having him back.

Chopin’s story also foreshadows Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Garden Party’ , and Laura Sheridan’s enigmatic emotional reaction to seeing her first dead body (as with Chopin’s story, a man who has died in an accident). If you enjoyed this analysis of ‘The Story of an Hour’, you might also enjoy Anton Chekhov’s 1900 story ‘At Christmas Time’, to which Chopin’s story has been compared.

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KateChopin.org

The kate chopin international society, kate chopin: “the story of an hour”, “the story of an hour” is kate chopin’s short story about the thoughts of a woman after she is told that her husband has died in an accident. the story first appeared in vogue in 1894 and is today one of chopin’s most popular works..

By the Editors of KateChopin.org

Read the story online New The popularity of the story Characters Time and place Themes When the story was written and published What critics and scholars say New Questions and answers Accurate texts All of Kate Chopin’s short stories in Spanish Books about the story Articles about the story A graphic version of the story A Christmas opera based on the story

Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” online and in print

You can read the story in our online text . If you’re citing a passage from this or other Kate Chopin stories for research purposes, it’s a good idea to check your citation against one of these printed texts. This is especially important with “The Story of an Hour,” because some online versions of the story — and some published versions — omit a word that changes the meaning of what Kate Chopin is saying.

In the middle of the story, some online versions’ sentence reads, “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself.” Compare that with the sentence as it appears in our online text: “There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself.” If you don’t see why the word matters, or if you want to understand why there are two versions of the story, check our questions and answers below .

“The Story of an Hour” characters

Louise Mallard
Brently Mallard: husband of Louise
Josephine: sister of Louise

“The Story of an Hour” time and place

The story is set in the late nineteenth century in the Mallard residence, the home of Brently and Louise Mallard . More about the location is not specified.

“The Story of an Hour” themes

Readers and scholars often focus on the idea of freedom in “The Story of an Hour,” on selfhood, self-fulfillment, the meaning of love, or what Chopin calls the “possession of self-assertion.” There are further details in what critics and scholars say and in the questions and answers below. And you can read about finding themes in Kate Chopin’s stories and novels on the Themes page of this site.

When Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” was written and published

It was written on April 19, 1894, and first published in Vogue on December 6, 1894, under the title “The Dream of an Hour,” one of nineteen Kate Chopin stories that Vogue published. It was reprinted in St. Louis Life on January 5, 1895. The St. Louis Life version includes several changes in the text. As we explain in the questions and answers section of this page , it includes the word “her.”

You can find out when Kate Chopin wrote each of her short stories and when and where each was first published.

What critics and scholars say about “The Story of an Hour”

A great deal has been written about this story for many years. Some representative comments:

The story is “one of feminism’s sacred texts,” Susan Cahill writing in 1975, when readers were first discovering Kate Chopin.

“Love has been, for Louise and others, the primary purpose of life, but through her new perspective, Louise comprehends that ‘love, the unsolved mystery’ counts for very little. . . . Love is not a substitute for selfhood; indeed, selfhood is love’s precondition.” Barbara C. Ewell

“Mrs. Mallard will grieve for the husband who had loved her but will eventually revel in the ‘monstrous joy’ of self-fulfillment, beyond ideological strictures and the repressive effects of love.” Mary Papke

Kate Chopin “was a life-long connoisseur of rickety marriages, and all her wisdom is on display in her piercing analysis of this thoroughly average one.” Christopher Benfey

“In the mid- to late 1890s, Vogue was the place where Chopin published her most daring and surprising stories [‘The Story of an Hour’ and eighteen others]. . . . Because she had Vogue as a market — and a well-paying one — Kate Chopin wrote the critical, ironic, brilliant stories about women for which she is known today. Alone among magazines of the 1890s, Vogue published fearless and truthful portrayals of women’s lives.” Emily Toth

Her husband’s death forces Louise to reconcile her “inside” and “outside” consciousness — a female double consciousness within Louise’s thoughts. Though constrained by biological determinism, social conditioning, and marriage, Louise reclaims her own life — but at a price. Her death is the result of the complications in uniting both halves of her world. Angelyn Mitchell

Louise Mallard’s death isn’t caused by her joy at seeing her husband’s return or by her sudden realization that his death has granted her autonomy. She dies as a result of the strain she is under. The irony of her death is that even if her sudden epiphany is freeing, her autonomy is empty, because she has no place in society. Mark Cunningham

Louise’s death is the culmination of her being “an immature and shallow egotist,” Lawrence Berkove says. He focuses on the scene in Louise’s bedroom and points out how unrealistic her notion of love is. Her death, he writes, is the only place that will offer her the absolute freedom she desires.

“This astonishing story strongly indicates that the sudden success which [the publication in 1894 of] Bayou Folk brought Kate Chopin was of crucial importance in the author’s own self-fulfillment. It gave her a certain release from what she evidently felt as repression or frustration, thereby freeing forces that had lain dormant in her. It is highly significant that she wrote ‘The Story of an Hour,’ an extreme example of the theme of self-assertion, at the exact moment when the first reviews of the book had both satisfied and increased her secret ambitions.” Per Seyersted

You can search the titles in our extensive databases of books and articles for more information about this short story — information in English, German, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Questions and answers about “The Story of an Hour”

Q: I don’t understand what you mean about what happens if “her” is left out of the sentence at the top of the page, “There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself.” How does including “her” change the meaning of the sentence?

A: Without “her,” the sentence means that Louise Mallard has been living for her husband, that he has been the center of her life, that he has been her reason for living. With “her,” the sentence means that Brently Mallard has been controlling his wife’s life, that his “powerful will [has been] bending hers” to his, has been bending what she wants to what he wants, has been forcing her to live the way he wants her to live, to do what he wants her to do.

That’s an important distinction. “Her” in the sentence explains what Mrs. Mallard means by her newly recognized “possession of self-assertion,” what she means by whispering, “Free! Body and soul free!”

Q: Why are there two versions of that sentence, with and without the “her”?

A: When the story was published in Vogue in 1894, the word “her” was not included. It’s not clear if “her” was in the copy Kate Chopin sent to Vogue or if the Vogue editor or printer left it out intentionally or accidentally. Some printed versions and some websites today use the Vogue version. You can see the sentence in question three lines down on the right column:

The story was reprinted the following year in St. Louis Life , which was edited by Sue V. Moore. Emily Toth, Chopin’s latest biographer, refers to Moore as “Kate’s friend” and a women who had promoted Chopin’s work for years. A clipping of the Vogue story pasted on a sheet of paper (and preserved now in the Missouri History Museum) shows two handwritten changes, one of which is the inserted word “her,” and the St. Louis Life version of the story includes those two changes, along with a few others (we are grateful to the staff of the St. Louis Public Library for providing us with this copy), You can see the sentence in question four lines down on the right column:

Daniel Rankin, Chopin’s earliest biographer, says those changes were “made by the author.” Per Seyersted, who edited the Complete Works of Kate Chopin, says they were “very likely made by the editor [Sue V. Moore].” Seyersted, nevertheless, included the two changes in his text of the story in the Complete Works. We use Seyersted’s text here. We include the “her.” Many printed sources and other websites include it, too.

Q: You say that the story was first published under the title, “The Dream of an Hour.” Who changed that title and why?

A: We can probably identify who changed it, but we don’t know why. The story appeared in Vogue in 1894 as “The Dream of an Hour.” Even as late as 1962, critic Edmund Wilson continued to refer to it under this title. But in 1969 it was called “The Story of an Hour” in the Complete Works of Kate Chopin .

It seems likely that Per Seyersted, who edited the Complete Works, changed the title, perhaps because Kate Chopin referred to “The Story of an Hour” in one of the two account books where she recorded how much she earned for each of her stories. In the other account book, she referred to the story as “The Dream of an Hour.” (Chopin’s account books are preserved in the Missouri History Museum and are transcribed in Kate Chopin’s Private Papers .)

It may be, however, that if Seyersted changed the title, he did so because a clipping of the Vogue story pasted on a sheet of paper (and housed now in the Missouri History Museum) has the word “Dream” crossed out and the word “Story” inserted.

Q: What does the present title mean?

A: The action of the story seems to play out in about an hour’s time.

Q: Do you know how much Vogue magazine paid Kate Chopin for the story?

Yes. Kate Chopin recorded in two account books how much she earned for each of her stories and novels. Vogue paid her $10 for “The Dream of an Hour,” the title under which the story appeared. Because of inflation (the usual increase in the level of prices), that $10 in 1894 would be worth about $355 today.

Q: Is it true that this is Kate Chopin’s most popular story?

A: It probably is true. The story certainly appears in a great many anthologies these days. Kate Chopin’s sensitivity to what it sometimes feels like to be a woman is on prominent display in this work — as it is in The Awakening . Chopin’s often-celebrated yearning for freedom is also on display here–as is her sense of ambiguity and her complex way of seeing life, of seeing, for example, that it is both “men and women” who “believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature.”

From 1929 to about 1970, “Désirée’s Baby” was the best known of Chopin’s works, praised by critics and often reprinted. When the Complete Works of Kate Chopin was published in 1969, “The Storm” –unknown until that time–became famous almost overnight, as did “The Story of an Hour.” Today “Désirée’s Baby,” “The Story of an Hour,” and “The Storm,” are heavily discussed by scholars and regularly read in university and secondary school classes around the world, although a few other stories–among them “A Respectable Woman,” “Lilacs,” “A Pair of Silk Stockings,” “Athénaïse,” and “At the ‘Cadian Ball” –are also frequently read. However, as we explain above, there is evidence that “The Story of an Hour” is today especially popular.

Q: I’ve read on a website that readers were scandalized by the story when it was published. Why?

A: It’s a mystery to us how the authors of that website could possibly know that readers in the 1890s were, in fact, scandalized by the story. Book reviewers were certainly upset by Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening in 1899. There are published reviews showing that. There is, however–so far as we can tell–no printed evidence that the “The Story of an Hour” set off a scandal among readers.

Nevertheless, it is true that, as Emily Toth says in Unveiling Kate Chopin , “Kate Chopin had to disguise reality. She had to have her heroine die. A story in which an unhappy wife is suddenly widowed, becomes rich, and lives happily ever after . . . would have been much too radical, far too threatening in the 1890s. There were limits to what editors would publish, and what audiences would accept.”

New Q: Some students in my class think that Mrs. Mallard planned her husband’s death. Is there any evidence that she did?

A: If this were real life — if you knew Mrs. Mallard, if you had been a friend or a relative of hers, if you understood the way she thinks and watched the way she has been acting throughout her life — then maybe you could find some evidence to help you answer your question.

But “The Story of an Hour” is fiction. It’s a work of art.

One advantage of art — of a story, a film, a song, etc. — is that it can let us see something that we could not see any other way. In this story, for example, we can see inside of Mrs. Mallard’s mind to know exactly what she is thinking for that one hour in her life. That’s something we almost never know about another person, just as other people almost never know exactly what we’re thinking.

So a good story, a good work of art, is like a gift. It gives us something special.

But one disadvantage of art — of a story, a film, a song, etc. — is that what it gives us is all we have. We don’t know anything more about Mrs. Mallard than what we have in those words of the story. We can’t know any more about her, because there is nothing more to know. If Kate Chopin had written other stories about Mrs. Mallard in which she told us more about her life and what kind of person she is, then maybe we could better answer the question.

But this is the only story in which Kate Chopin writes about Mrs. Mallard. If you read the story again, if you study the words in it carefully, you’ll see that there is no evidence that Mrs. Mallard planned her husband’s death. So we have to conclude that she did not. If Kate Chopin had wanted us to know that she did, then she would have told us that in the story.

New Q: This webpage has so many words on it! Why don’t you add some pictures or videos or podcasts?

A: Sorry to hear you are disappointed in this webpage.

We explain on this page what our readers over the past 20 years have been asking us about. Our readers are students, teachers, librarians, journalists, playwrights, filmmakers, translators, book club members, bloggers, podcast hosts, and other people in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Philippines, India, China, Brazil, and dozens of other countries around the world.

On this page and our other pages devoted to one of Kate Chopin’s short stories or novels, we describe in lots of short paragraphs what our readers have wanted to know. About 25% of our readers are not native speakers of English. So we try to answer their questions in English that is easy to understand.

We include at the top of a page like this a list of red links so our readers can get quickly to what exactly it is they need to know.

But you might try looking at some other pages on our site: Our page, for example, where you can watch three short films based on Kate Chopin’s stories. Or our page in which we link to a video where you can listen to a song Kate Chopin wrote. Or our page in which we link to a podcast where you can hear specialists talk about Kate Chopin’s stories. Or our News page in which you will find lots of images and colors .

Q: I’m studying literature in France and am looking for a film adaptation of “The Story of an Hour.” Does one exist?

A: Thomas Bonner, Jr. (Xavier University of Louisiana) offers this response:

The Joy That Kills was produced by Cypress Productions in 1984 and released the following year as part of the Public Broadcast System’s American Playhouse series. Tina Rathborne (sometimes spelled Rathbone or Rathbourne) directed; she and Nancy Dyer wrote the script. Set in New Orleans in the 1870s, the film does not follow the almost existential lack of a specific setting and time in “The Story of an Hour.” It leans toward the New Orleans settings of The Awakening . It was filmed in one of the historic houses in the French Quarter of New Orleans with Ann Masson being the film’s art director. I always felt that the story, if it has a specific setting, is closer to the St. Louis area as it evokes Chopin’s loss of her father in a train wreck and that the film helped explicate The Awakening more than the story.

And Emily Toth (Louisiana State University) adds that “there’s at least one other film of ‘The Story of an Hour,’ by Ishtar Films.”

Q: Do you happen to know if “The Story of an Hour” is published in any Swedish book or magazine? I have found it online (Swedish title: Berättelsen om en timme ), but nowhere in print. I have an old photocopy of the short story, which is obviously from a book, but no one I have talked to (including librarians) knows where it is from.

A: We have found no answer to this question. If you have useful information, would you contact us ?

A Graphic Short Story Based on “The Story of an Hour”

Cartoonist Gabrielle Bell’s Cecil and Jordan in New York (Drawn and Quarterly, 2009) is a collection of graphic short stories.

Here is the first page of a story called “One Afternoon,” based on Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”:

Gabrielle Bell reimagines “The Story of an Hour” within a larger narrative, which, the New York Times says, “is narrated by a young woman who’s just moved to the city with her filmmaker boyfriend; it’s a clear-cut tale of impecunious 20-something artists until halfway through, when the narrator abruptly transforms herself into a chair, gets taken home by someone who finds her on the sidewalk and decides that her old life won’t miss her. The engine of these mercilessly observed stories is squirminess: emotional awkwardness so intense that it can erupt into magic or just knot itself into scars.”

A Christmas Opera Based on “The Story of an Hour”

In December, 2019, the Gramercy Opera in New York at Brooklyn’s Montauk Club presented an opera “Story of an Hour.” The opera company’s announcement read:

“Based on the 1894 short story by Kate Chopin, in a classic operetta-esque style, ‘Story of an Hour’ is a one-act opera set in the 1800s during the Christmas season. It follows the story of a fatal train accident and the consequences it has on two young women — one of whose husbands is believed to have been on the train.”

“Story of an Hour” was the winner of the inaugural Salzman-Gramercy Opera Advancement Prize. The music was written by Michael Valenti and the libretto by Kleban- and Stacey Luftig. The cast included Kate Fruchterman, Sable Strout, Aaron Theno, and Jay Lucas Chacon.

The opera played on Dec. 13 and 14, 2019. You can see an excerpt of the opera .

Scott Little, a student at Kent State University in Ohio, created an opera based on” The Story of an Hour” in 2018.

Accurate texts of “The Story of an Hour”

The Complete Works of Kate Chopin . Edited by Per Seyersted. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1969, 2006.

Kate Chopin: A Vocation and a Voice. Edited by Emily Toth. New York: Penguin, 1991.

Kate Chopin: Complete Novels and Stories . Edited by Sandra Gilbert. New York: Library of America, 2002.

Books and Book Chapters about “The Story of an Hour”

Fox, Heather A. Arranging Stories: Framing Social Commentary in Short Story Collections by Southern Women Writers . University Press of Mississippi, 2022.

Ostman, Heather, and Kate O’Donoghue, eds. Kate Chopin in Context: New Approaches . New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015.

Rajakumar, Mohanalakshmi and Geetha Rajeswar. “What Did She Die of? ‘The Story of an Hour’ in the Middle East Classroom”: 173–85.

Wan, Xuemei. Beauty in Love and Death — An Aesthetic Reading of Kate Chopin’s Works [in Chinese]. China Social Sciences P, 2012.

Gale, Robert L. Characters and Plots in the Fiction of Kate Chopin . Jefferson, N C: McFarland, 2009.

Beer, Janet, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Kate Chopin . Cambridge, England: Cambridge UP, 2008.

Ostman, Heather, ed. Kate Chopin in the Twenty-First Century: New Critical Essays . Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Cambridge Scholars, 2008.

Beer, Janet. Kate Chopin, Edith Wharton and Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Studies in Short Fiction . New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.

Stein, Allen F. Women and Autonomy in Kate Chopin’s Short Fiction . New York: Peter Lang, 2005.

Perrin-Chenour, Marie-Claude. Kate Chopin: Ruptures [in French]. Paris, France: Belin, 2002.

Evans, Robert C. Kate Chopin’s Short Fiction: A Critical Companion . West Cornwall, CT: Locust Hill, 2001.

Beer, Janet. Kate Chopin, Edith Wharton and Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Studies in Short Fiction. New York: Macmillan–St. Martin’s, 1997.

Koloski, Bernard. Kate Chopin: A Study of the Short Fiction . New York: Twayne, 1996.

Boren, Lynda S., and Sara deSaussure Davis (eds.), Kate Chopin Reconsidered: Beyond the Bayou . Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1992.

Ewell, Barbara C. “Kate Chopin and the Dream of Female Selfhood”: 157–65.

Toth, Emily, ed. A Vocation and a Voice by Kate Chopin. New York: Penguin, 1991.

Showalter, Elaine. Sister’s Choice: Tradition and Change in American Women’s Writing . Oxford, England: Oxford UP, 1991.

Papke, Mary E. Verging on the Abyss: The Social Fiction of Kate Chopin and Edith Wharton . New York: Greenwood, 1990.

Bonner, Thomas Jr., The Kate Chopin Companion . New York: Greenwood, 1988.

Ewell, Barbara C. Kate Chopin . New York: Ungar, 1986.

Skaggs, Peggy. Kate Chopin . Boston: Twayne, 1985.

Stein, Allen F. After the Vows Were Spoken: Marriage in American Literary Realism . Columbus: Ohio UP, 1984.

Cahill, Susan. Women and Fiction: Short Stories by and about Women . New York: New American Library, 1975.

Leary, Lewis, ed. The Awakening and Other Stories by Kate Chopin . New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970.

Seyersted, Per. Kate Chopin: A Critical Biography . Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1969.

Rankin, Daniel, Kate Chopin and Her Creole Stories . Philadelphia: U of Pennsylvania P, 1932.

Selected articles about “The Story of an Hour”

Some of the works listed here may be available online through university or public libraries.

Hu, Aihua. “The Art of Repetition in ‘The Story of an Hour’.” ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and Reviews , vol. 35, no. 4, Oct. 2022, pp. 458–63.

Hu, Aihua. “’The Story of an Hour’: Mrs. Mallard’s Ethically Tragic Song.” ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes, and Reviews , vol. 35, no. 2, Apr. 2022, pp. 141–47.

Ramos, Paula Pope. “She felt it, creeping out of the sky”: Loucura e Morte como Libertação na Ficção de Mulheres do Século XIX.” [Madness and death as liberation in 19th century women’s fiction. ] Itinerários–Revista de Literatura , issue 54, Jan-June 2022, pp. 73-83.

Ahmetspahić, Adisa, and Damir Kahrić. “It’s a Man’s World: Re-Examination of the Female Perspective in Chopin’s ‘Désirée’s Baby’ and ‘The Story of an Hour.’” ESSE Messenger , vol. 29, no. 1, Summer 2020, pp. 23–37.

Geriguis, Lora E. “The ‘It’ and the ‘Joy That Kills:’ An Ecocritical Reading of Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’.” Explicator , vol. 78, no. 1, Jan. 2020, pp. 5–8.

Yazgı, Cihan. “Tragic Elements and Discourse-Time in ‘The Story of an Hour.’” The Explicator , vol. 78, no. 3–4, July 2020, pp. 147–152.

Koloski, Bernard. “Kate Chopin.” Oxford Bibliographies in American Literature, edited by Jackson Bryer, Oxford University Press, 2020 [update].

Distel, Kristin M. “‘Free! Body and Soul Free!’: The Docile Female Body in Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’.” New Woman’s Writing: Contextualising Fiction, Poetry and Philosophy , Subashish Bhattacharjee and Girindra Narayan Ray, editors. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2018, pp. 65–78.

Doloff, Steven. “Kate Chopin’s Lexical Diagnostic in ‘The Story of an Hour’.” Notes And Queries 61 (259).4 (2014): 580–81.

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Sümer, Sema Zafer. “‘The Story of an Hour’ Or The Story of a Lost Lady in The Shadow of the Patriarchy’s Ideology.” Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi 28.(2012): 191-196.

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English Studies

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“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, first published in 1894 in the St. Louis Life magazine, was later included in the 1895 collection “Vojageur” and in the 1895 edition of “Bayou Folk”. This iconic short story features a unique narrative structure, where the protagonist, Louise Mallard, experiences a rollercoaster of emotions upon learning of her husband’s death in a railroad accident. The story showcases Chopin’s mastery of exploring themes of freedom, marriage, and the human psyche, all within a concise and gripping narrative that has captivated readers for over a century. Some key features of the story include its use of irony, symbolism, and a focus on the inner experiences of the protagonist, making it a landmark of American literary modernism.

Main Events in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

Table of Contents

Mrs. Mallard Learns of Her Husband’s Death : Mrs. Mallard, afflicted with a heart condition, is gently informed of her husband’s death in a train accident by her sister Josephine and their friend Richards.
Initial Grief and Solitude : Mrs. Mallard weeps in her sister’s arms and then withdraws to her room alone, overwhelmed by grief.
Contemplation by the Window : Sitting alone in her room, Mrs. Mallard gazes out the window, observing signs of new life and feeling a sense of physical and emotional exhaustion.
A Subtle Awakening : Mrs. Mallard begins to feel a subtle and elusive sense of freedom creeping over her, whispering “free, free, free!” as she starts to recognize a new sensation within herself.
Embracing Freedom : As Mrs. Mallard acknowledges the prospect of freedom from her husband’s will and societal expectations, she feels a rush of joy and welcomes the years ahead for herself.
Recognition of Self-Assertion : Mrs. Mallard reflects on the strength of her own desires for autonomy and self-assertion, realizing that it surpasses the complexities of love and relationships.
Resistance and Revelation : Despite her sister’s pleas, Mrs. Mallard resists leaving her newfound sense of liberation, reveling in the elixir of life streaming through her open window.
Vision of the Future : Mrs. Mallard’s imagination runs wild with possibilities for her future, filled with dreams of spring and summer days that will be entirely her own.
Triumphant Reveal : Mrs. Mallard emerges from her room, exuding a feverish triumph, and descends the stairs with her sister, unaware of what awaits her.
Shocking Revelation and Tragic End : The story takes a dramatic turn as Mrs. Mallard’s husband, Brently Mallard, returns home unharmed, unaware of the news of his death. The shock of his appearance leads to Mrs. Mallard’s sudden death, attributed by doctors to “the joy that kills.”

Literary Devices in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

Characterization in “the story of an hour” by kate chopin.

Afflicted with a heart condition, which influences her physical and emotional state throughout the story.
Initially portrayed as experiencing grief and sorrow over her husband’s death but undergoes a transformation as she contemplates the prospect of freedom.
Symbolizes themes of repression, liberation, and the complexities of marriage and societal expectations.
Acts as a supportive figure to Mrs. Mallard, informing her of her husband’s death and attempting to comfort her.
Represents familial bonds and the role of women in supporting each other in times of crisis.
Present when the news of Brently Mallard’s death is revealed to Mrs. Mallard.
His actions highlight the societal norms of male friendship and the expectation of delivering difficult news to women.
Appears briefly at the end of the story, shocking Mrs. Mallard and ultimately leading to her death.
Serves as a catalyst for Mrs. Mallard’s emotional journey and the revelation of her desire for freedom.
Represents the constraints of traditional marriage and the loss of individual identity within such relationships.

Major Themes in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

Freedom and Liberation : The story explores the theme of freedom through Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to her husband’s death. Initially grieving, she experiences a profound sense of liberation and anticipates a future free from the constraints of marriage and societal expectations.
Repression and Identity : Mrs. Mallard’s emotional journey highlights the repression of her true feelings within her marriage and society. Her brief moment of freedom allows her to glimpse her own desires and identity apart from her role as a wife.
Irony and Unexpected Twists : Chopin employs irony and unexpected twists to challenge conventional narrative expectations. The revelation of Brently Mallard’s survival and Mrs. Mallard’s subsequent death subverts the reader’s assumptions and underscores the complexities of human emotion and experience.
Death and Joy : The story juxtaposes themes of death and joy, suggesting that liberation and self-realization can emerge from unexpected or even tragic circumstances. Mrs. Mallard’s death, attributed to “the joy that kills,” underscores the paradoxical nature of human emotions and the complexities of inner lives.

Writing Style in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

Descriptive Imagery : Chopin employs vivid and sensory language to create imagery that immerses the reader in the setting and emotions of the story. Descriptions of the springtime scene outside Mrs. Mallard’s window, such as “aquiver with the new spring life,” evoke a sense of renewal and vitality.
Stream-of-Consciousness : The story delves into Mrs. Mallard’s thoughts and feelings, often in a stream-of-consciousness style. This technique allows readers to experience her internal turmoil and the rapid shifts in her emotions as she grapples with the news of her husband’s death and the prospect of freedom.
Symbolism : Chopin utilizes symbolism to convey deeper themes and meanings throughout the narrative. For example, the open window symbolizes the possibility of escape and liberation, while Mrs. Mallard’s physical and emotional confinement within her home reflects the constraints of her marriage and societal expectations.
Irony and Subtext : The story is marked by irony and subtle subtext, particularly in its exploration of Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to her husband’s death. While her initial response appears to be one of grief, it gradually becomes clear that she is experiencing a sense of liberation and joy at the prospect of newfound freedom.
Economy of Language : Chopin’s writing in “The Story of an Hour” is characterized by its economy of language, with each word carefully chosen to maximize impact. This concise style contributes to the story’s intensity and emotional resonance, allowing readers to experience the protagonist’s inner journey with clarity and immediacy.

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

Feminist Theory :

Interpretation: Louise’s struggle for autonomy and independence
Example: “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself.”
Explanation: Louise’s desire for self-assertion and freedom from patriarchal oppression is a central theme. She rejects the societal expectations of women and seeks to live for herself, symbolizing her autonomy and independence.

Psychoanalytic Theory:

Interpretation: Louise’s repressed emotions and inner conflict
Example: “She was beginning to recognize this thing that was approaching to possess her, and she was striving to beat it back with her will—”
Explanation: Louise’s inner turmoil and emotional struggle with her husband’s death reveal her repressed desires and inner conflict. Her feelings of freedom and joy are juxtaposed with her guilt and grief, highlighting her complex psyche.

Symbolic Theory:

Interpretation: Symbols of freedom and oppression
Example: “The open window and blue sky”
Explanation: The open window and blue sky symbolize freedom, hope, and new life, while the closed door and darkness symbolize oppression and confinement. The window and sky represent Louise’s desire for escape and freedom, while the door and darkness represent her trapped and oppressive life.

Topics, Questions, and Thesis Statements about “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

Short questions/answers about/on “the story of an hour” by kate chopin.

What is the significance of the title “The Story of an Hour” and how does it relate to the story’s themes? The title “The Story of an Hour” refers to the brief period of time during which the protagonist, Louise Mallard, experiences a sense of freedom and liberation after hearing of her husband’s death. This hour represents a turning point in her life, as she momentarily breaks free from the societal expectations and constraints that have defined her marriage. The title highlights the story’s exploration of freedom, individuality, and the oppressive nature of societal norms.
How does Kate Chopin use symbolism in “The Story of an Hour” to convey the protagonist’s emotional journey and the themes of the story? Kate Chopin employs symbolism throughout the story to convey Louise’s emotional journey and the themes of freedom, individuality, and oppression. The open window, for instance, symbolizes Louise’s newfound freedom and her desire to break free from the constraints of her marriage. The “blue and far” sky represents the limitless possibilities and opportunities that lie ahead. The “new spring of life” and the “delicious breath of rain” symbolize renewal and rejuvenation, reflecting Louise’s growing sense of hope and liberation.
What role does irony play in “The Story of an Hour,” and how does it contribute to the story’s themes and character development? Irony plays a significant role in “The Story of an Hour,” as it underscores the contradictions and tensions that exist between societal expectations and individual desires. The story’s use of dramatic irony, where the reader is aware of Louise’s inner thoughts and feelings, while the other characters are not, highlights the disconnect between her public and private selves. The situational irony, where Louise’s husband returns alive, subverts the reader’s expectations and underscores the oppressive nature of societal norms, which deny women their individuality and freedom.
How does “The Story of an Hour” reflect the social and cultural context in which it was written, and what commentary does it offer on the status of women during this time period? “The Story of an Hour” reflects the social and cultural context of the late 19th century, a time when women’s rights and freedoms were severely limited. The story critiques the patriarchal society and the institution of marriage, which often trapped women in loveless and oppressive relationships. Through Louise’s character, Chopin highlights the suffocating nature of societal expectations and the longing for individuality and freedom that many women experienced during this time period. The story’s exploration of these themes offers a commentary on the status of women and the need for greater autonomy and self-expression.

Literary Works Similar to “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

“ The Yellow Wallpaper ” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman : This story explores themes of female oppression and mental health as a woman confined to a room by her husband begins to unravel psychologically.
“ A Jury of Her Peers ” by Susan Glaspell : Based on Glaspell’s play “Trifles,” this story delves into gender roles and justice as women uncover crucial evidence while accompanying their husbands on a murder investigation.
“The Awakening” by Kate Chopin : Another work by Chopin, this novella examines the constraints of marriage and societal expectations as a woman seeks independence and self-discovery in late 19th-century Louisiana.
“ The Chrysanthemums ” by John Steinbeck : Set in the Salinas Valley during the Great Depression, this story follows a woman’s encounter with a traveling tinkerer, exploring themes of isolation, longing, and gender roles.
“The Story of a Dead Man” by Ambrose Bierce : Bierce’s story, similar to “The Story of an Hour,” explores themes of freedom and liberation as a man seemingly returns from the dead, causing his widow to contemplate her newfound independence.

Articles on “The Story of an Hour”:

Mitchell, Angelyn. “Feminine Double Consciousness in Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour.'” CEAMagazine 5.1 (1992): 59-64.
Miner, Madonne M. “Veiled Hints: An Affective Stylist’s Reading of Kate Chopin’s ‘Story of an Hour.'” Markham Review 11 (1982): 29-32.

Web Resource:

The Kate Chopin International Society offers a wealth of information on Chopin and “The Story of an Hour,” including the full text of the story and critical essays: Kate Chopin International Society: https://www.katechopin.org/story-hour/

Representative Quotations from “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the story of an hour: summary and analysis.

General Education

Imagine a world where women are fighting for unprecedented rights, the economic climate is unpredictable, and new developments in technology are made every year. While this world might sound like the present day, it also describes America in the 1890s .

It was in this world that author Kate Chopin wrote and lived, and many of the issues of the period are reflected in her short story, “The Story of an Hour.” Now, over a century later, the story remains one of Kate Chopin’s most well-known works and continues to shed light on the internal struggle of women who have been denied autonomy.

In this guide to Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” we’ll discuss:

A brief history of Kate Chopin and America the 1890s
“The Story of an Hour” summary
Analysis of the key story elements in “The Story of an Hour,” including themes, characters, and symbols

By the end of this article, you’ll have an expert grasp on Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour.” So let’s get started!

“The Story of an Hour” Summary

If it’s been a little while since you’ve read Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” it can be hard to remember the important details. This section includes a quick recap, but you can find “The Story of an Hour” PDF and full version here . We recommend you read it again before diving into our analyses in the next section!

For those who just need a refresher, here’s “The Story of an Hour” summary:

Mrs. Louise Mallard is at home when her sister, Josephine, and her husband’s friend, Richards, come to tell her that her husband, Brently Mallard, has been killed in a railroad accident . Richards had been at the newspaper office when the news broke, and he takes Josephine with him to break the news to Louise since they’re afraid of aggravating her heart condition. Upon hearing the news of her husband’s death, Louise is grief-stricken, locks herself in her room, and weeps.

From here, the story shifts in tone. As Louise processes the news of her husband’s death, she realizes something wonderful and terrible at the same time: she is free . At first she’s scared to admit it, but Louise quickly finds peace and joy in her admission. She realizes that, although she will be sad about her husband (“she had loved him—sometimes,” Chopin writes), Louise is excited for the opportunity to live for herself. She keeps repeating the word “free” as she comes to terms with what her husband’s death means for her life.

In the meantime, Josephine sits at Louise’s door, coaxing her to come out because she is worried about Louise’s heart condition. After praying that her life is long-lived, Louise agrees to come out. However, as she comes downstairs, the front door opens to reveal her husband, who had not been killed by the accident at all. Although Richards tries to keep Louise’s heart from shock by shielding her husband from view, Louise dies suddenly, which the doctors later attribute to “heart disease—of the joy that kills .”

Kate Chopin, the author of "The Story of an Hour," has become one of the most important American writers of the 19th century.

The History of Kate Chopin and the 1890s

Before we move into “The Story of an Hour” analysis section, it’s helpful to know a little bit about Kate Chopin and the world she lived in.

A Short Biography of Kate Chopin

Born in 1850 to wealthy Catholic parents in St. Louis, Missouri, Kate Chopin (originally Kate O’Flaherty) knew hardship from an early age. In 1855, Chopin lost her father, Thomas, when he passed away in a tragic and unexpected railroad accident. The events of this loss would stay with Kate for the rest of her life, eventually becoming the basis for “The Story of an Hour” nearly forty years later.

Chopin was well-educated throughout her childhood , reading voraciously and becoming fluent in French. Chopin was also very aware of the divide between the powerful and the oppressed in society at the time . She grew up during the U.S. Civil War, so she had first-hand knowledge of violence and slavery in the United States.

Chopin was also exposed to non-traditional roles for women through her familial situation. Her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother chose to remain widows (rather than remarry) after their husbands died. Consequently, Chopin learned how important women’s independence could be, and that idea would permeate much of her writing later on.

As Chopin grew older, she became known for her beauty and congeniality by society in St. Louis. She was married at the age of nineteen to Oscar Chopin, who came from a wealthy cotton-growing family. The couple moved to New Orleans, where they would start both a general store and a large family. (Chopin would give birth to seven children over the next nine years!)

While Oscar adored his wife, he was less capable of running a business. Financial trouble forced the family to move around rural Louisiana. Unfortunately, Oscar would die of swamp fever in 1882 , leaving Chopin in heavy debt and with the responsibility of managing the family’s struggling businesses.

After trying her hand at managing the property for a year, Chopin conceded to her mother’s requests to return with her children to St. Louis. Chopin’s mother died the year after. In order to support herself and her children, Kate began to write to support her family.

Luckily, Chopin found immediate success as a writer. Many of her short stories and novels—including her most famous novel, The Awakening— dealt with life in Louisiana . She was also known as a fast and prolific writer, and by the end of the 1900s she had written over 100 stories, articles, and essays.

Unfortunately, Chopin would pass away from a suspected cerebral hemorrhage in 1904, at the age of 54 . But Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and other writings have withstood the test of time. Her work has lived on, and she’s now recognized as one of the most important American writers of the 19th century.

American life was undergoing significant change in the 19th century. Technology, culture, and even leisure activities were changing.

American Life in the 1890s

“The Story of an Hour” was written and published in 1894, right as the 1800s were coming to a close. As the world moved into the new century, American life was also changing rapidly.

For instance, t he workplace was changing drastically in the 1890s . Gone were the days where most people were expected to work at a trade or on a farm. Factory jobs brought on by industrialization made work more efficient, and many of these factory owners gradually implemented more humane treatment of their workers, giving them more leisure time than ever.

Though the country was in an economic recession at this time, technological changes like electric lighting and the popularization of radios bettered the daily lives of many people and allowed for the creation of new jobs. Notably, however, work was different for women . Working women as a whole were looked down upon by society, no matter why they found themselves in need of a job.

Women who worked while they were married or pregnant were judged even more harshly. Women of Kate Chopin’s social rank were expected to not work at all , sometimes even delegating the responsibility of managing the house or child-rearing to maids or nannies. In the 1890s, working was only for lower class women who could not afford a life of leisure .

In reaction to this, the National American Woman Suffrage Association was created in 1890, which fought for women’s social and political rights. While Kate Chopin was not a formal member of the suffragette movements, she did believe that women should have greater freedoms as individuals and often talked about these ideas in her works, including in “The Story of an Hour.”

Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" a short exploration of marriage and repression in America.

“The Story of an Hour” Analysis

Now that you have some important background information, it’s time to start analyzing “The Story of an Hour.”

This short story is filled with opposing forces . The themes, characters, and even symbols in the story are often equal, but opposite, of one another. Within “The Story of an Hour,” analysis of all of these elements reveals a deeper meaning.

“The Story of an Hour” Themes

A theme is a message explored in a piece of literature. Most stories have multiple themes, which is certainly the case in “The Story of an Hour.” Even though Chopin’s story is short, it discusses the thematic ideas of freedom, repression, and marriage.

Keep reading for a discussion of the importance of each theme!

Freedom and Repression

The most prevalent theme in Chopin’s story is the battle between freedom and “repression.” Simply put , repression happens when a person’s thoughts, feelings, or desires are being subdued. Repression can happen internally and externally. For example, if a person goes through a traumatic accident, they may (consciously or subconsciously) choose to repress the memory of the accident itself. Likewise, if a person has wants or needs that society finds unacceptable, society can work to repress that individual. Women in the 19th century were often victims of repression. They were supposed to be demure, gentle, and passive—which often went against women’s personal desires.

Given this, it becomes apparent that Louise Mallard is the victim of social repression. Until the moment of her husband’s supposed death, Louise does not feel free . In their marriage, Louise is repressed. Readers see this in the fact that Brently is moving around in the outside world, while Louise is confined to her home. Brently uses railroad transportation on his own, walks into his house of his own accord, and has individual possessions in the form of his briefcase and umbrella. Brently is even free from the knowledge of the train wreck upon his return home. Louise, on the other hand, is stuck at home by virtue of her position as a woman and her heart condition.

Here, Chopin draws a strong contrast between what it means to be free for men and women. While freedom is just part of what it means to be a man in America, freedom for women looks markedly different. Louise’s life is shaped by what society believes a woman should be and how a wife should behave. Once Louise’s husband “dies,” however, she sees a way where she can start claiming some of the more “masculine” freedoms for herself. Chopin shows how deeply important freedom is to the life of a woman when, in the end, it’s not the shock of her husband’s return of her husband that kills Louise, but rather the thought of losing her freedom again.

Marriage as a “The Story of an Hour” theme is more than just an idyllic life spent with a significant other. The Mallard’s marriage shows a reality of 1890s life that was familiar to many people. Marriage was a means of social control —that is to say, marriage helped keep women in check and secure men’s social and political power. While husbands were usually free to wander the world on their own, hold jobs, and make important family decisions, wives (at least those of the upper class) were expected to stay at home and be domestic.

Marriage in Louise Mallard’s case has very little love. She sees her marriage as a life-long bond in which she feels trapped, which readers see when she confesses that she loved her husband only “sometimes.” More to the point, she describes her marriage as a “powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature.” In other words, Louise Mallard feels injustice in the expectation that her life is dictated by the will of her husband.

Like the story, the marriages Kate witnessed often ended in an early or unexpected death. The women of her family, including Kate herself, all survived their husbands and didn’t remarry. While history tells us that Kate Chopin was happy in her marriage, she was aware that many women weren’t. By showing a marriage that had been built on control and society’s expectations, Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” highlights the need for a world that respected women as valuable partners in marriage as well as capable individuals.

body-young-woman-looking-through-a-window

While this painting by Johann Georg Meyer wasn't specifically of Louise Mallard, "Young Woman Looking Through a Window" is a depiction of what Louise might have looked like as she realized her freedom.

"The Story of an Hour" Characters

The best stories have developed characters, which is the case in “The Story of an Hour,” too. Five characters make up the cast of “The Story of an Hour”:

Louise Mallard

Brently mallard.

The doctor(s)

By exploring the details of each character, we can better understand their motivations, societal role, and purpose to the story.

From the opening sentence alone, we learn a lot about Louise Mallard. Chopin writes, “Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.”

From that statement alone, we know that she is married, has a heart condition, and is likely to react strongly to bad news . We also know that the person who is sharing the bad news views Louise as delicate and sensitive. Throughout the next few paragraphs, we also learn that Louise is a housewife, which indicates that she would be part of the middle-to-upper class in the 1890s. Chopin also describes Louise’s appearance as “young,” “fair, calm face,” with lines of “strength.” These characteristics are not purely physical, but also bleed into her character throughout the story.

Louise’s personality is described as different from other women . While many women would be struck with the news in disbelief, Louise cries with “wild abandonment”—which shows how powerful her emotions are. Additionally, while other women would be content to mourn for longer, Louise quickly transitions from grief to joy about her husband’s passing.

Ultimately, Chopin uses Louise’s character to show readers what a woman’s typical experience within marriage was in the 1890s. She uses Louise to criticize the oppressive and repressive nature of marriage, especially when Louise rejoices in her newfound freedom.

Josephine is Louise’s sister . We never hear of Josephine’s last name or whether she is married or not. We do know that she has come with Richards, a friend of Brently’s, to break the news of his death to her sister.

When Josephine tells Louise the bad news, she’s only able to tell Louise of Brently’s death in “veiled hints,” rather than telling her outright. Readers can interpret this as Josephine’s attempt at sparing Louise’s feelings. Josephine is especially worried about her sister’s heart condition, which we see in greater detail later as she warns Louise, “You will make yourself ill.” When Louise locks herself in her room, Josephine is desperate to make sure her sister is okay and begs Louise to let her in.

Josephine is the key supporting character for Louise, helping her mourn, though she never knows that Louise found new freedom from her husband’s supposed death . But from Josephine’s actions and interactions with Louise, readers can accurately surmise that she cares for her sister (even if she’s unaware of how miserable Louise finds her life).

Richards is another supporting character, though he is described as Brently’s friend, not Louise’s friend. It is Richards who finds out about Brently Mallard’s supposed death while at the newspaper office—he sees Brently’s name “leading the list of ‘killed.’” Richards’ main role in “The Story of an Hour” is to kick off the story’s plot.

Additionally, Richard’s presence at the newspaper office suggests he’s a writer, editor, or otherwise employee of the newspaper (although Chopin leaves this to readers’ inferences). Richards takes enough care to double-check the news and to make sure that Brently’s likely dead. He also enlists Josephine’s help to break the news to Louise. He tries to get to Louise before a “less careful, less tender friend” can break the sad news to her, which suggests that he’s a thoughtful person in his own right.

It’s also important to note is that Richards is aware of Louise’s heart condition, meaning that he knows Louise Mallard well enough to know of her health and how she is likely to bear grief. He appears again in the story at the very end, when he tries (and fails) to shield Brently from his wife’s view to prevent her heart from reacting badly. While Richards is a background character in the narrative, he demonstrates a high level of friendship, consideration, and care for Louise.

Brently Mallard would have been riding in a train like this one when the accident supposedly occurred.

Mr. Brently Mallard is the husband of the main character, Louise. We get few details about him, though readers do know he’s been on a train that has met with a serious accident. For the majority of the story, readers believe Brently Mallard is dead—though the end of “The Story of an Hour” reveals that he’s been alive all along. In fact, Brently doesn’t even know of the railroad tragedy when he arrives home “travel-stained.”

Immediately after Louise hears the news of his death, she remembers him fondly. She remarks on his “kind, tender hands” and says that Brently “never looked save with love” upon her . It’s not so much Brently as it’s her marriage to him which oppresses Louise. While he apparently always loved Louise, Louise only “sometimes” loved Brently. She constantly felt that he “impose[d] a private will” upon her, as most husbands do their wives. And while she realizes that Brently likely did so without malice, she also realized that “a kind intention or a cruel intention” makes the repression “no less a crime.”

Brently’s absence in the story does two things. First, it contrasts starkly with Louise’s life of illness and confinement. Second, Brently’s absence allows Louise to imagine a life of freedom outside of the confines of marriage , which gives her hope. In fact, when he appears alive and well (and dashes Louise’s hopes of freedom), she passes away.

The Doctor(s)

Though the mention of them is brief, the final sentence of the story is striking. Chopin writes, “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease—of the joy that kills.” Just as she had no freedom in life, her liberation from the death of her husband is told as a joy that killed her.

In life as in death, the truth of Louise Mallard is never known. Everything the readers know about her delight in her newfound freedom happens in Louise’s own mind; she never gets the chance to share her secret joy with anyone else.

Consequently, the ending of the story is double-sided. If the doctors are to be believed, Louise Mallard was happy to see her husband, and her heart betrayed her. And outwardly, no one has any reason to suspect otherwise. Her reaction is that of a dutiful, delicate wife who couldn’t bear the shock of her husband returned from the grave.

But readers can infer that Louise Mallard died of the grief of a freedom she never had , then found, then lost once more. Readers can interpret Louise’s death as her experience of true grief in the story—that for her ideal life, briefly realized then snatched away.

In "The Story of an Hour," the appearance of hearts symbolize both repression and hope.

“The Story of an Hour” Symbolism and Motifs

Symbols are any object, word, or other element that appear in the story and have additional meanings beyond. Motifs are elements from a story that gain meaning from being repeated throughout the narrative. The line between symbols and motifs is often hazy, but authors use both to help communicate their ideas and themes.

In “The Story of an Hour,” symbolism is everywhere, but the three major symbols present in the story are:

The heart
The house and the outdoors
Joy and sorrow

Heart disease, referred to as a “heart condition” within the text, opens and closes the text. The disease is the initial cause for everyone’s concern, since Louise’s condition makes her delicate. Later, heart disease causes Louise’s death upon Brently’s safe return. In this case, Louise’s ailing heart has symbolic value because it suggests to readers that her life has left her heartbroken. When she believes she’s finally found freedom, Louise prays for a long life...when just the day before, she’d “had thought with a shudder that life might be long.”

As Louise realizes her freedom, it’s almost as if her heart sparks back to life. Chopin writes, “Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously...she was striving to beat it back...Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.” These words suggest that, with her newfound freedom, the symptoms of her heart disease have lifted. Readers can surmise that Louise’s diseased heart is the result of being repressed, and hope brings her heart back to life.

Unfortunately, when Brently comes back, so does Louise’s heart disease. And, although her death is attributed to joy, the return of her (both symbolic and literal) heart disease kills her in the end.

The House and the Outdoors

The second set of symbols are Louise’s house and the world she can see outside of her window. Chopin contrasts these two symbolic images to help readers better understand how marriage and repression have affected Louise.

First of all, Louise is confined to the home—both within the story and in general. For her, however, her home isn’t a place to relax and feel comfortable. It’s more like a prison cell. All of the descriptions of the house reinforce the idea that it’s closed off and inescapable . For instance, the front door is locked when Mr. Mallard returns home. When Mrs. Mallard is overcome with grief, she goes deeper inside her house and locks herself in her room.

In that room, however, Mrs. Mallard takes note of the outdoors by looking out of her window. Even in her momentary grief, she describes the “open square before her house” and “the new spring life.” The outdoors symbolize freedom in the story, so it’s no surprise that she realizes her newfound freedom as she looks out her window. Everything about the outside is free, beautiful, open, inviting, and pleasant...a stark contrast from the sadness inside the house .

The house and its differences from outdoors serve as one of many symbols for how Louise feels about her marriage: barred from a world of independence.

Joy and Sorrow

Finally, joy and sorrow are motifs that come at unexpected times throughout “The Story of an Hour.” Chopin juxtaposes joy and sorrow to highlight how tragedy releases Louise from her sorrow and gives her a joyous hope for the future.

At first, sorrow appears as Louise mourns the death of her husband. Yet, in just a few paragraphs, she finds joy in the event as she discovers a life of her own. Though Louise is able to see that feeling joy at such an event is “monstrous,” she continues to revel in her happiness.

It is later that, when others expect her to be joyful, Josephine lets out a “piercing cry,” and Louise dies. Doctors interpret this as “the joy that kills,” but more likely it’s a sorrow that kills. The reversal of the “appropriate” feelings at each event reveals how counterintuitive the “self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being” is to the surrounding culture. This paradox reveals something staggering about Louise’s married life: she is so unhappy with her situation that grief gives her hope...and she dies when that hope is taken away.

Key Takeaways: Kate Chopin's “The Story of an Hour”

Analyzing Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” takes time and careful thought despite the shortness of the story. The story is open to multiple interpretations and has a lot to reveal about women in the 1890s, and many of the story’s themes, characters, and symbols critique women’s marriage roles during the period .

There’s a lot to dig through when it comes to “The Story of an Hour” analysis. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, just remember a few things :

Events from Kate Chopin’s life and from social changes in the 1890s provided a strong basis for the story.
Mrs. Louise Mallard’s heart condition, house, and feelings represent deeper meanings in the narrative.
Louise goes from a state of repression, to freedom, and then back to repression, and the thought alone is enough to kill her.

Remembering the key plot points, themes, characters, and symbols will help you write any essay or participate in any discussion. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” has much more to uncover, so read it again, ask questions, and start exploring the story beyond the page!

What’s Next?

You may have found your way to this article because analyzing literature can be tricky to master. But like any skill, you can improve with practice! First, make sure you have the right tools for the job by learning about literary elements. Start by mastering the 9 elements in every piece of literature , then dig into our element-specific guides (like this one on imagery and this one on personification .)

Another good way to start practicing your analytical skills is to read through additional expert guides like this one. Literary guides can help show you what to look for and explain why certain details are important. You can start with our analysis of Dylan Thomas’ poem, “Do not go gentle into that good night.” We also have longer guides on other words like The Great Gatsby and The Crucible , too.

If you’re preparing to take the AP Literature exam, it’s even more important that you’re able to quickly and accurately analyze a text . Don’t worry, though: we’ve got tons of helpful material for you. First, check out this overview of the AP Literature exam . Once you have a handle on the test, you can start practicing the multiple choice questions , and even take a few full-length practice tests . Oh, and make sure you’re ready for the essay portion of the test by checking out our AP Literature reading list!

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Story of An Hour — Analysis of Style, Tone, and Language in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

Analysis of Style, Tone, and Language in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

Categories: Kate Chopin The Story of An Hour

About this sample

Words: 1203 |

Published: Dec 3, 2020

Words: 1203 | Pages: 2 | 7 min read

The essay analyzes Kate Chopin's short story "The Story of an Hour," focusing on its style, tone, and language. The author highlights how these literary elements contribute to the story's success and its controversial nature.

In terms of style, the essay discusses how Chopin uses imagery to convey the protagonist's transition from oppression to freedom. The symbolism of spring and new life associated with death challenges traditional narratives, suggesting that the death of the husband represents a liberation for the wife. The house itself is portrayed as a symbol of confinement, contrasting with the freedom symbolized by nature.

Regarding tone, the essay points out the optimism and joy felt by the protagonist upon learning of her husband's death, as it signifies her newfound freedom. However, it also highlights the story's melancholic and tragic tones, as the protagonist's liberation is short-lived, leading to her untimely death.

The language analysis delves into Chopin's choice of words and phrases, emphasizing how they reflect the protagonist's feelings of oppression within her marriage. The essay interprets words like "repression" and "feverish triumph" to support the idea that the protagonist felt controlled by her husband. Additionally, the use of vivid language, such as "all aquiver," captures the protagonist's awakening to a new life.

Introduction, style in "the story of an hour”, tone in "the story of an hour”, "the story of an hour” language analysis.

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The Story of an Hour Analysis & Summary – Essay Example

This sample will help you write a The Story of an Hour analysis essay! Here you’ll find a The Story of an Hour summary. Essay also contains a plot and character analysis.

Introduction

The story of an hour introduction, the story of an hour main plot, the story of an hour conclusion, the story of an hour analysis.

The Story of an Hour is a short story written by Kate Chopin in 1894. This famous piece of literature was controversial for its time, as the story mentioned a female protagonist who felt relieved after her husband’s death. The conclusion of The Story of an Hour is ironic, which makes the ending memorable.

The following The Story of an Hour literary analysis essay will summarize the plot and present an extensive character analysis of Mrs. Mallard. It will be helpful for those writing a The Story of an Hour critical analysis.

Kate Chopin (born Catherine O’Flaherty) was an American writer. She is best known for her narratives of delicate and brave women’s inner lives. Her novel “The Awakening” and her short stories, among them The Story of an Hour, are being read in countries all over the world today. She is widely recognized as one of the most important authors in America.

In 1984, Kate Chopin wrote The Story of an Hour. It portrays a woman, Louise Mallard, who lost her husband in an accident. However, she later discovers that the husband survived. Mrs. Mallard goes through many emotions and feelings, reevaluating her life. That ultimately kills her when she meets her presumably dead husband at the door. The following The Story of an Hour essay will focus on the plot and the protagonist’s self-development.

The Story of an Hour Summary

Louise Mallard, the main character, had always had a heart problem. It was not a secret for her friends and relatives, so everyone tried to protect her from worries.

One day her husband, Brently Mallard, was mistaken for having died in a horrible railroad accident. Richard, Mr. Mallard’s friend, was the one who learned about this death while in the office. Josephine, Louise’s sister, broke the news to her.

Josephine was very cautious because of Mrs. Mallard’s health issue. She feared such a tragedy would cause a heart attack. Bit by bit, she strategized how to tell everything to her sister, aher plan went perfectly well. Mrs. Mallard wept only once. She did not receive the story like many women would, with a helpless incapacity to acknowledge its meaning. She only cried in her sister’s arms with a feeling of a sudden, wild abandonment (Woodlief 2).

Immediately Mrs. Mallard found herself wondering how she could survive without her husband. She went to a room and locked herself to contemplate the consequences of his death. She was devastated, and this sadness was only natural. This man had been close to her, even though only for a short time. Her sister Josephine and Mr. Richard also mourned the loss (Taibah 1).

Mrs. Mallard was alone in that room, thinking about the future. As she was contemplating her fate, instead of grief, she began realizing that this was the beginning of a better part of her life. Louise saw independence and plenty of possibilities to do what her heart desired. Now, she had only to think about herself.

Later, Josephine comes to Louise’s room, crying with a joyous smile. They descend the house’s stairs, where Mr. Mallard appears at the door. He was not involved in the accident and did not understand why Josephine was crying. At the shock of seeing her husband again, Mrs. Mallard collapses. The doctors declare that she died because of the problems with her heart.

Health issues of the central character play a significant role in the story. The author managed to bring suspense in the way she described telling the bad news to a person with a heart problem. Josephine, Louise’s sister, tries her best to be careful and attentive, expecting a painful response. However, Mrs. Mallard reacts better than anticipated.

The story focuses mostly on femininity and the institution of marriage. The analysis of The Story of an Hour has to speculate on it to reveal the core message.

The author was able to illustrate that men entirely dominate the institution of marriage. Mr. Mallard, for instance, treated his wife the way she wanted only from time to time. For years, Louise has done many things to please her husband without looking after her well-being. So, having received the disturbing news, she is quite happy. It seemed that she had never cared for her husband at all.

Or did she? Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to the death of a spouse is complicated. She cannot escape the loneliness and grief that came with the loss. But the possibility of happiness prevails. Louise knew that marriage had made her a subject for him against her will. She only felt sorrow for the loss of his life but not for living without him. She felt deep inside that she had been freed from the chains of living for another person.

Mr. Mallard’s apparent death saddened Louise at first. She was devastated about his fate but regained strength quickly. Louise was well aware of the fact that she could not bring her husband back. So, she came to terms with it, which wasn’t difficult. Mrs. Mallard saw beyond the painful moment, anticipating freedom for the rest of her life.

The room and environment around Mrs. Mallard symbolize her desire for freedom. For example, Mrs. Mallard could see the tops of trees through the window. They were all aquiver with the new spring life on the open square before her house. There was a delicious breath of rain in the air. A peddler was weeping his wares in the street below. There were spots of blue sky showing up here and there through the clouds in the west facing her window, which had met and piled up one above the other (Woodlief 1).

An open window could be interpreted as a metaphor. It reflects new possibilities and resources that Mrs. Mallard now had in her sights without anybody stopping her. She referred to it as the late spring of life.

The story reveals how women were secretly marginalized. At the time, society expected them to pursue wealth and safety, which came with a husband. Liberty should be neither their worry nor their goal. When Louise felt freedom after Mr. Mallard’s death, she kept it secret for obvious reasons. But then, her sister arrived.

Mrs. Mallard was shocked by the sight of her husband alive. All of her newfound liberty and dreams came crashing down at that moment. This shattering experience even goes to the extreme of destroying her life. Whereas she was to be happy to see her husband alive, Louise died from a heart attack.

Situational irony is presented in the author’s stylistic use of words: “She had died of heart disease…of the joy that kills.” People around anticipated this tragedy from the news about Mr. Mallard’s death, not miraculous survival.

The author explored the character of Mrs. Mallard throughout this story. The reader can’t be surprised by her sudden death or miss its irony. Louise is a woman with a great desire for independence, which a man has deprived her of through marriage. Mr. Mallard represents the absence of her liberty that restores after his death. When Mrs. Mallard sees her husband at the door once again, she collapses and never wakes up.

Based on this The Story of an Hour literary analysis, we can draw several important conclusions. Mrs. Mallard couldn’t control her emotions when they concerned the most vital matters. The lack of liberty and independence may have caused her heart problems in the first place. And they cost her life in the end.

Her husband, Mr. Mallard, took Louise’s freedom when he married her. However, as it became apparent from the story, he never valued her. When she died, he had finally faced the consequences of always taking her existence for granted.

Therefore, the oppressor faced even worse tragedy than the oppressed. The dramatic irony of Mr. Mallard’s unawareness of his wife’s true feelings towards him is a big part of the story. So, in the end, it was Mr. Mallard’s presence that killed his wife.

Chopin, Kate. The Story of an hour . The Kate Chopin International Society. Web.
Woodlief, Ann. The Story of an Hour . 2011, Virginia Commonwealth University. Web.

What is the symbolism in The Story of an Hour?

Through The Story of an Hour, the author presents us with the inner feelings and thoughts of a woman using various symbols. Mrs. Mallard’s heart problem symbolizes her dissatisfaction with the marriage, while the open window illustrates her aspirations towards a better, independent life.

What is the meaning behind The Story of an Hour?

Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour analysis illustrates that the author wanted to tell us how the society of that time was unfair towards women. It also shows the delicate and complicated inner world of a woman.

What does The Story of an Hour critique?

The Story of an Hour criticizes the typical experience of marriage in the 1890s. For women, such marriage was repressive and meant their loss of personal freedoms. Therefore, the story criticizes the society of that time dominated by men.

How do you start a critical analysis of The Story of an Hour?

Start your analysis of The Story of an Hour with a short introduction. Remember to say a few words about its author and her life. Next, talk about the story and let the reader know what it is about.

What are the two main themes in The Story of an Hour?

Firstly, the theme of a female search for self-identity is featured strongly in the story. The second theme is that of repressive marriage. The reader sees it in the way Mrs. Mallard’s reaction toward her husband’s death shifts.

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The Story of an Hour

Kate chopin, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Women in 19th-Century Society Theme Icon

In “The Story of an Hour,” freedom and independence—not love, not friends, not family, not honor or glory or anything else—are held up as what make a life worth living. Though Louise is at first genuinely upset by the news of Brently ’s death—and though she makes it clear that she will greatly mourn the loss of her husband—over the course of the hour in which she believes him to be dead, she comes to see the incredible gift she has been given in the form of the freedom she will have as an unmarried (and well-off) woman. She delights in the fact that without a husband she will be able to spend the remainder of her days exactly as she pleases. While Louise ’s delight in her freedom is closely tied to her status as a woman in nineteenth-century American society, it is important to note that the story doesn’t limit its idea of the preeminent importance of independence only to women. As Louise herself thinks, “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature.” In Louis e’s conception, it is both women and men who lack freedom; it is both women and men who, in all their interactions with each other, steal freedom from each other.

Yet, just as the story indicates society and the world’s resistance to female empowerment, so does it imply the impossibility of actual human freedom or independence. It is no coincidence that Louise ’s sense of the possibility of freedom only comes to her when she is locked, entirely alone, within her room. As her own thoughts about how men and women take each other’s freedom suggests, any social interaction or connection impinges upon freedom. And so it is further no coincidence that Louise ’s dream of freedom, along with Louise herself, dies almost as soon as she leaves the solitary ecstasy of her room.

Freedom and Independence ThemeTracker

Freedom and Independence Quotes in The Story of an Hour

She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance. She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms.

She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves.

It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought. There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully.

There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. 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.

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!

She arose at length and opened the door to her sister’s importunities. There was a feverish triumph in her eyes, and she carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory. She clasped her sister’s waist, and together they descended the stairs.

How Did the Original ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ End?

Where did the Chuck Norris version leave off?

The Big Picture

Walker, Texas Ranger ended with a bang and a proper sendoff for Chuck Norris and the series.
The series was rebooted as Walker on the CW, offering a darker reimagining for a new era.
Despite the unresolved ending in Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial By Fire , fans still hope for more Chuck Norris as Cordell Walker in the future.

Few Hollywood stars have quite the same reputation as Chuck Norris . Everyone loves this martial arts-infused action hero, and whether he's saving the president or stopping a bomb about to detonate and kill millions, we always know he'll come out on top. But Norris' most famous role is undoubtedly his time as Ranger Cordell Walker in his impressively long-running series, Walker, Texas Ranger .

Recent years have seen a rebooted version, Walker , wandering about on the CW, but the original series is where it's really at. The martial arts, explosions, and weekly moral lessons always make us feel better, reminding us that the hero always wins out. It's no wonder the show ran for nearly a decade between 1993 and 2001—but how did Walker's story actually end? Well, we've got some news for you.

Walker, Texas Ranger

'walker, texas ranger' ends with a bang.

Walker, Texas Ranger was a show that—although feeling a little "after-school special"-ish at times—was immensely popular while it was on television. Running nine seasons, including the original four-episode pilot season that kicked the series off, it came to its climactic end with the two-hour series finale, "The Final Show/Down." This episode starts lightheartedly with a Walker family barbecue celebrating the impending arrival of Cordell Walker (Norris) and Alex Cahill Walker's ( Sheree J. Wilson ) newborn baby girl, but quickly pivots to a prison break initiated by Emile Lavocat ( Marshall R. Teague ), the man who is revealed to have killed Walker's friend and former partner, Captain C.D. Parker ( Noble Willingham ). In the first part of the finale, Lavocat kills Ranger Dan Jensen ( Michael Stephen Costello ) with a sniper rifle and nearly kills Ranger James Trivette ( Clarence Gilyard ) in a car accident.

Despite knowing her husband's job, Alex begs Walker to be careful, not wanting to raise their baby alone. However, she ends up going into labor, and while the baby is born a bit premature, she pulls through. Meanwhile, Ranger Wade Harper ( Robert Fuller ) and his wife, Betsy ( Marla Adams ), are gunned down by Lavocat's men, and the entire Ranger Company B is put on high alert. As Walker and the remaining Rangers go after the gang of murdering thieves, the main villain is confronted by the titular Texas Ranger as they engage in martial arts-inspired hand-to-hand combat. Lavocat dies in the midst of a Walker, Texas Ranger trademark explosion, and the episode ends with the Walkers bringing home their new little girl, Angela , which itself is a clever nod to the Chuck Norris film , Hero and the Terror.

What makes "The Final Show/Down" particularly unique is that it cuts between the present story with Walker and the Rangers taking on Lavocat's gang and an Old West tale about Walker's ancestor, Hayes Cooper (also played by Norris ), as he battles a scalped and deranged ancestor of Lavocat's named "Moon" (also played by Teague). In many ways, both stories take on the same basic plot, albeit with differing results. The Western tale is a ton of fun, concluding with Cooper taking down the bandits, rescuing his wife and child, and becoming sheriff of the town of Bovine, Texas.

"The Final Show/Down" Was a Proper Goodbye to 'Walker, Texas Ranger'

Considering the feel and tone of Walker, Texas Ranger , "The Final Show/Down" is a proper send off for the series . Not only does the series finale pull from its Western roots, but it brings together everything fans loved about the Chuck Norris action-drama. While this extended adventure probably wouldn't make it into anyone's top 20 episodes of the 203-episode series, it wasn't a poor hour to end on, either, and aside from all the character deaths, it's nice to see newcomers like Francis Gage ( Judson Mills ) and Sydney Cooke ( Nia Peeples ) make it out alive.

Of course, what makes our hearts the warmest, though, is knowing that there's another Walker out there in the world. After all the trouble that Cordell Walker and Alex Cahill had been through over the years, Walker, Texas Ranger gives them the biggest break and the happiest of endings . Although Walker threw himself out of a building and narrowly escaped exploding himself, he ends the series standing as tall as ever, ready for the next adventure. Admittedly, we would've loved to see Walker and Trivette battle Lavocat together, but thankfully, Clarence Gilyard was still included in the final gunfight during the Old West sequence.

'Walker' Is Setting Up a Dark Season-Long Mystery

Speaking of it, the Hayes Cooper sequence is actually a bit more exciting than the Cordell Walker story this time, and because we have parallel narratives going on, we get not one, but two distinct showdowns between Chuck Norris and Marshall R. Teague , which is great entertainment. Sure, some of the fighting feels a bit dated and slow by modern standards, but there are still some real stakes here. Norris plays both parts with his trademark, cool style that makes us wonder if he can play anything other than a stoic action hero , yet he manages to delight us no matter if he's playing Cooper or Walker.

The Revival Series, 'Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial By Fire,' Left Things Unresolved

Despite Walker, Texas Ranger wrapping everything up in the end, fans couldn't be away from Norris' most famous character for long. Aaron Norris returned to direct the CBS TV movie, Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire , in 2005, with Chuck Norris, Sheree J. Wilson, Judson Mills, and Clarence Gilyard returning for more. In Trial by Fire , Walker (now a captain) thwarts a bank robbery with the help of some fellow Rangers, only to find himself searching for a missing government weapon that's being hidden by a young teenage boy on the run from a Korean crime syndicate. Yes , it's about as intense (and strange) as it sounds. But what's worse is that Trial by Fire ends on a massive cliffhanger , with Alex being shot on the courthouse steps by the men responsible for the entire thing.

Unfortunately, we never get any confirmation if Alex made it out alive or not. Earlier in the film, we see the Walker family—with an older Angela—living their normal life, but by the end, it's unclear if this family will remain nuclear in the future. Due to poor ratings and a lackluster reception, Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire never got a sequel . Instead, the Cordell Walker saga simply ended things there, and although it did so with a literal bang, it wasn't one we either expected nor wanted. Chuck Norris hasn't returned to the character since, which is a crying shame for longtime fans awaiting a real answer. Even Clarence Gilyard and Sheree J. Wilson would love to return , but so far, our favorite action hero hasn't made anything happen.

Walker is currently in its fourth season on the CW, and given the shakeups that have been happening at the network, it's unclear if the show will be renewed for a fifth season. Given that two Cordell Walkers could easily exist in this world, we're still holding out that Chuck Norris will show up as the original Walker one day, and that he'll give us the full scoop on what happened after the events of Walker, Texas Ranger .

Walker, Texas Ranger is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

Watch on Hulu

'The View': Whoopi Fake Sobs for Rudy Giuliani After He Was Served Indictment Papers at His Birthday | Video

R udy Giuliani was officially served indictment papers over the weekend — while at his own birthday party. So, on Monday morning's episode of "The View," moderator Whoopi Goldberg was simply inconsolable. She even wept real fake tears for the man.

In setting up the discussion, Whoopi first explained what happened in a very amused tone, before acting extremely choked up while detailing the reactions of Giuliani's party guests.

"Some were crying because they were like, so upset about this!" she mocked. "They were not so upset that he partook in lies about what was happening in the country, but they were upset that he was served. My question is this — let me get my stuff together."

At that, Whoopi buried her face in her hands, palming at her cheeks to wipe away the fake tears and thanking the audience for understanding and appreciating her "distress."

"Did he really think he could outrun the law?!" she then asked in a much more serious, but equally deriding, tone.

For host Ana Navarro, the answer was yes, as she explained that Giuliani had quite literally been avoiding and running away from law enforcement for weeks, even taunting them on social media .

"If Arizona authorities can't find me by tomorrow morning: 1. They must dismiss the indictment; 2. They must concede they can't count votes," Giuliani wrote in a now-deleted social media post. He was served with the papers two hours later.

"Rudy!" Whoopi wailed as Navarro poked fun at the people who actually were upset. "Rudyyyy! Don't take my Rudy!"

As the hosts continued to mock Giuliani, Navarro eventually offered a tissue to Whoopi, praising her for being able to pull herself together and soldier on.

"Well, I haven't stopped crying inside," Whoopi joked.

You can watch the whole segment from "The View" in the video above.

The post 'The View': Whoopi Fake Sobs for Rudy Giuliani After He Was Served Indictment Papers at His Birthday | Video appeared first on TheWrap .

108 The Story of an Hour Essay Topics & Examples

Need to write an analysis, argumentative essay, or discussion paper on The Story of an Hour? Looking for interesting The Story of an Hour essay topics? We’ve got you covered!

✍️ The Story of an Hour Essay Prompt Ideas

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Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour is an excellent short story with feminist themes. You can explore Mrs Mallard’s journey by writing a paper with the help of our The Story of an Hour essay prompt ideas and samples. Check them out!

House symbolism in The Story of an Hour. Kate Chopin’s short story is rich with symbolism. For example, Mrs. Mallard’s house serves as a representation of her entrapment in marriage. You can compare this symbol with the room from The Yellow Wallpaper.
Repression vs. freedom in The Story of an Hour. Many scholars have studied the story from the Freudian perspective. According to this reading, one of the main reasons behind Mrs. Mallard’s actions was psychological repression. Do you agree?
The Story of an Hour as an early feminist story. In your essay, you can study feminist aspects of Chopin’s story. For instance, you may look into female liberation, marriage as a trap, and other similar themes.
Mrs. Mallard’s death as liberation. The main character of the story, Mrs. Mallard, longs to be free. She thinks that she’s finally liberated when her husband dies. However, he turns out to be alive, and the realization kills Mrs. Mallard. Can we say that death finally brought her desired freedom?
What is “the joy that kills”?
Was Mrs. Mallard a good wife?
How do Mrs. Mallard’s emotions change?
What really killed Mrs. Mallard?
What’s the role of sarcasm in The Story of an Hour ?
What are tragedy tropes in The Story of an Hour ?
What does marriage mean for Mrs. Mallard?
What’s the symbolism of Mrs. Mallard’s “heart trouble”?
What’s the importance of time in The Story of an Hour ?
What was marriage like in the 19th century according to Kate Chopin?
The Story of an Hour Critical Analysis Essay Instead, she knew that though the husband was important to her, marriage had made her a subject to him. Mallard was not able to handle the swings in her emotions and this cost her life.Mr.
“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin: Reading Response Thus, Louise’s feelings are pretty explainable by the fact that she can devote her life to herself with the death of her husband. The realization of this leads her to delight and a feeling of […]
The Use of Feminism in Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” Kate Chopin was one of the first writers to expose the struggles of women in the specified environment of inequality in her “The Story of an Hour”.
The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin It should be mentioned that the story is the discussion of the reaction to the event and the characteristics of one hour in the life of Louise Mallard.
Comparing ‘The Story of an Hour’ and ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ Essay The first similarity between the ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ and ‘The story of an Hour is that the main characters in the stories are looking for freedom in vain.
Theme of Gender in «The Story of an Hour» by Kate Chopin and «A Room of One’s Own» by Virginia Woolf On the other hand, the unknown narrator; the main character in the novel A Room of One’s Own addresses and criticizes the issue of gender inequality in her society.
The Feminist Impact of “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin Her biography slightly resembles the story of Louise Mallard, who was also processing the alleged death of a husband. To begin with, in The Story of an Hour, the protagonist Mrs.
Imagery and Symbolism in “Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin The essay concludes with the viewpoint that the use of symbolism and imagery with a natural background enhances the intensity and aptness of the scenes and core story.
Point of View in Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” The climax of the story is Brently Mallard’s return home and the situation when Mrs. The point of view in the story is categorized as the third person limited omniscient as the story-teller is not […]
Trifles and The Story of an Hour Comparison To illustrate, the theme of female subordination plays out in The Story of an Hour through Louise’s confession that Brently’s supposed death indicates freedom for the wife.
The Novel “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin Speaking more precisely, the renovation of the soul and the renovation of nature go together in stressing the significance of the change. Mallard’s life and the story in general.
Literary Analysis: The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Mallard having a heart complication, and how the sister Josephine and the husband’s friend Richard found it difficult to break the news of the demise of her husband.Mrs.
“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin: The Main Goals and Themes The main goal that Kate Chopin wanted to convey in The Story of an Hour is the liberation of a woman from the limited marital role and gender persuasion of the women’s place in the […]
The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin: Novel Analysis The key purpose of the story is to bring awareness to an issue that a human being is born to be free.
“The Story of an Hour” a Story by Kate Chopin As the reader goes through the story, one can clearly see the images of what is happening because of the detailed imagery depicted by the author in the story; it is these imageries that triggers […]
Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”: Feminine Roles in the 19th Century Thus, in the course of analyzing the powerful imagery in Chopin’s work, the paper will also focus on the concepts of feminine roles and gender relations as they were perceived in the dominant culture of […]
Marriage in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin News about the death of her husband arises and owing to her heart problem, carefulness is vital for the one to deliver the news to her.
Analysis of “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin The essence of the latter is in the opposition of a person to society and its norms. Further, the second conflict in “The Story of an Hour” is the internal struggle and confusion of Louise.
“Everyday Use” by Alice Walker and “The Story of an Hour” by Chopin Dee, although she is not the only main character, is the drive that pushes the story forward, and the narrative unfolds with her arrival.
Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour This thought is said to be a central one for the story, and it is represented in the title. In addition to that, it is impossible to ignore the fact that The Story of an […]
“The Birthmark” and “The Story of an Hour”: Theme, Tone, and Point of View “The Birthmark” tells the story of a scientist Aylmer who was obsessed with the idea to remove his wife’s stain.”The Story of an Hour” is the psychological description of a young woman’s feelings when she […]
Trifles by Susan Glaspell and The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin’s This is one of the aspects that can be distinguished. This is one of the points that can be made.
Louise Mallard in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin Because of her delicate heart condition, her sister – Josephine- and her husband’s friend – Richard- both believe that they must break the news of her husband’s death in a very careful manner.
Kate Chopin’s Work “The Story of a Hour” This is the main conflict of the story and it is my belief that she chose to be happy at her newfound freedom while grieving for her husband a little.
Solitude in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin For centuries, the idea of human isolation and solitude has been considered a phenomenon that poisons a human being, as the sense of belonging to a community and family is frequently considered a pillar of […]
Kate Chopin: The Setting in “The Story of an Hour” The conflict in the story is brought about by the reaction of the main character towards the news of the death.
Women and Freedom in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin She is best known for her recurrent theme on the status of women in societal affairs, the challenges and problems facing them as well as repression and gender bias.”The story of an hour” is rhetorically […]
Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” Criticism To illustrate, The Story of an Hour narrative is based on the supposed death of Brentley Mallard – the husband to Louise Mallard – thus reflecting a number of real life deaths that characterized Chopin’s […]
Joy That Kills: “The Story of an Hour” by Chopin She had to prove the right of a woman to decide something in the society contemporary to her and, besides, was influenced by her parents.
Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”, Harris’s “Mississippi Solo”, and Blanco’s “One Today” The expression of one’s desire for independence and the following impact of that element on one’s identity development can be clearly traced in Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour.
“The Story of an Hour” by Chopin vs. “Volar” by Cofer This, in turn, leads to the formation of the identity that is ready to face all the world’s challenges as a superhero.
Kincaid’s “The Girl” vs. Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” The mother gives a lot of advice on what to do, including what to prepare, what to do in the house, and what to do outside the house.
Feminism in “The Story of an Hour” In conclusion, The Story of an Hour shows that the feeling of freedom that Louise did not have was an impediment to a happy life.
Freedom of Choices for Women in Marriage in “The Story of an Hour” The story describes the sentiments and feelings of Louisa Mallard when she learns the news about her husband. The readers can see the sudden reaction of the person to the demise of her significant other.
Fiction Elements in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin The way the author, Kate Chopin, creates the element of surprise throughout the whole story plays a pivotal role in the strong impression of the piece’s ending.
Theme and Characters of Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” Concentrating on the heroine’s thoughts and describing sounds and the atmosphere, the author conveys the sophisticated and multifaceted female issue relating to women’s rights and feelings.
Does Marriage Bring Happiness?: Based on “The Story of an Hour” In this case, marriage is not a union of the loved ones but is a social obligation where a wife is a subject of a husband.Mr. Millard’s family seemed a perfect example of the social […]
Women in Relationships: Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” & Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” They explore the topic of the position of women in a relationship at the beginning of the twentieth century from a different point of view, which adds value to their joint analysis.
Realism: “The Trials of Girlhood” and “The Story of an Hour” The authors of “The Trials of Girlhood” and “The Story of an Hour” use a variety of devices to transmit the message in compliance with the purpose of their writings.
Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” Mallard, the protagonist of the story, learns that her husband died as a result of a train accident. Mallard understands that the rest of the life she has will be spent the way she wants.
Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”, Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”, and Walker’s “Everyday Use” It is remarkable that the language of The Story of An Hour speaks for the feelings of protagonist and the plot uncovering.
“The Story of an Hour” and “The Sorrowful Woman” This essay seeks to explain that in order to have a successful marriage, the husband and wife should work together as a single unit in which the husband and wife play their respective roles without […]
Intensions in “The Storm” and “The Story of an Hour” Her two stories, “The Storm” and “The Story of an Hour” are discussed in this paper to see how well Kate achieves her creative intention.”The Storm” is a short story, but it is packed with […]
Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” and “The Story of an Hour” In “The Storm”, the major part of the story is the activities of Calixta and Alcee, the main protagonist, and one of her neighbors who was caught out when the storm arrived, which are described […]
”The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin & ”The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Gilman: Comparing The characters of Louise Mallard in “The Story of an Hour” and the storyteller for “The Yellow Wallpaper” are representative of what the authors want to express about themselves and their current situation.
Analysis of Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” and “The Story of an Hour” She is struck by the sound of the words and repeats the realization that she is “free! In one instant, the realization that she is not free enters her mind, and she wails a “piercing […]
Women’s Status in Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” The story is a critique of control in marriages and dominant attitudes towards women in the society of the 19th century.
Character Arc in Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” It is also critical to take into account the presence or absence of a person in a situation of the death of a loved one, and the very personality of the survivor.
Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”: Feminist Statement Thus, specific feminist ideas in “The Story of an Hour” can be discussed from the point of the woman’s inequality in marriage and the point of the woman’s freedom.Mrs.
“The Story of an Hour” Plot by Kate Chopin In this case, the duty of the person breaking the news was to appear gentle while transmitting the sensitive news. It was quite unnoticed that a sob was to hit her hard since she was […]
“The Story of an Hour” and “The Storm” – Women in Literature The Storm and The Story of an Hour illustrate the viewpoints of women’s restriction in marriage. Through the two women’s experiences, the author illustrate on the theme of restriction in marriage.
“The Story of an Hour” and “The Birthmark” The “punishment” of the character, however, does not necessarily testify to the narrator’s support of the expected behavior standards pointing out a conflict between the author and the society in regards to ethical, moral, and […]
The Motifs of Life and Death in the Short Stories Hills Like White Elephants and The Story of an Hour One of the most notable aspects of how the motif of death reemerges throughout the entirety of Chopin’s story, is the fact that the story’s main character Mrs.
Feminist Criticism in “The Story of an Hour” and “The Yellow Wallpaper” This is because she is the only one who knew the suffering she was undergoing in that marriage and that she did not always love her husband.
Protagonists in Literature Both her sister and her husband’s friend are worried on the best means to pass this message to her because of her health condition.
Authorial Voice in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”
Women’s Roles in Silko’s “Yellow Woman” and Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
The Use of Dual Symbolism in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
The Arguments of Lawrence Berkove in Fatal Self-Assertion in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
How Negative Discoveries Can Lead To Positive Outcomes in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and “Life of Pi” by Ang Lee
The Modern Society’s Women in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
Women’s Rights in the 1940’s Illustrated in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
The Symbolism in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
The Themes of Female Independence and Marriage in Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” and “The Story of an Hour”
Biographical Approach to Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
Two Contrasting Views of Marriage in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
The Marriage of Yesterday and Today in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
The Powerful Influence of Community on the Idea of Identity in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
Symbolisms and Irony in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
Appearance vs. Reality: Relief or Release in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
The Emotional Effects in “The Story of an Hour,” “The Lottery,” and “The Yellow Wallpaper”
The Demise and Overwhelming Sense of Freedom of the Husband’s Death in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
The Risk Kate Chopin Took in Writing “The Story of an Hour”
The Stereotyping of Women in the Novels “The Storm” and “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
An Interpretation of the Death of the Husband in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
The Use of Literary Devices to Illustrate the Oppression of Women in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
The Importance of Freedom in Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
The Relationship Between Men and Women Presented in “The Story of an Hour”
The Developing Voice of Feminism in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” “The Awakening,” and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”
The Prevalence of Irony in “The Story of an Hour” and “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin
Gender Roles and the Struggles of Women in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
The Oppressive Nature of Marriage in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” vs. “The Story of an Hour”
Women’s Independence in the 19th Century: “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
The Similarities and Differences Between the Two Stories “The Storm” and “The Story of an Hour”
The Ugly Truth of Marriage in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
The Confinement of Women in “The Story of an Hour,” “The Yellow Wallpaper,” “A Sorrowful Woman,” and “Hills Like White Elephants”
The Thematic Struggle Between Man and Woman in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
The Significance of Love in the Mortgaged Heart and “The Story of an Hour”
Whether It Was a Joy That Killed Louise: Analysis of Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
The Idea of Freedom and Oppression in “The Story of an Hour”
The Use of Symbolism to Foreshadow the Future in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson”
Consequences of Freedom in “The Story of an Hour” and “A Pair of Silk Stocking” by Chopin
The Differences in Josephine and Mrs. Mallard of Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
The Dramatic Irony in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
The Protagonist Character Louise Mallard in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
The Literary Approach to Women’s Rights in “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “The Story of an Hour”
External and Internal Focalisation in “The Story of an Hour”
A Streetcar Named Desire Titles
The Cask of Amontillado Research Ideas
The Fall of the House of Usher Research Ideas
Call of the Wild Questions
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Research Topics
The Necklace Titles
To Build a Fire Research Topics
The Most Dangerous Game Paper Topics
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Chicago (N-B)

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Scandal, society, a scorching fire and summer in Hull: 4 books set in Massachusetts

Sometimes more fun to read when you know that setting. Looking for a book with a Massachusetts setting? Here are four to check out: "The Lioness of Boston," "Daughters of Nantucket," "The Invisible Hour" and "Feels Like Summer."

Authors carefully choose a setting for their novel. Sometimes, the setting is well known by the writer; other times, skillful research is required. By incorporating specific landmarks, familiar locations, or local customs, a writer not only adds authenticity and depth to their storytelling but also creates a more immersive reading experience.

As a reader, a richly detailed description of the setting enables us to relate more easily to the characters and make the imaginative leap into their world, whether in the past, present, or future. Readers typically have a particular soft spot for novels featuring their home state or town and love recognizing familiar locations within the pages of a story.

These novels are set in diverse locations − from the streets of Boston to the shores of Nantucket and Hull. These stories will ignite your curiosity and hometown pride.

Book about Isabella Stewart Gardner: 'The Lioness of Boston'

Emily Franklin's "The Lioness of Boston" is a fictional account of the life of American art collector Isabella Stewart Gardner, set in Boston 1861-1903.

Genre: Historical fiction

Isabella arrives in Boston at 20 years old, newly married to wealthy, blue-blood Jack Gardner. Having finished their Italian palazzo-style home, Isabella sets her heart on fitting in with wealthy society. Unfortunately, she is too bold, not fashionably dressed, and doesn’t easily conform to societal expectations. She hopes that motherhood might finally help her blend in, but it takes a long time to conceive, and then tragedy strikes, and she loses her 2-year-old son. Despite the tragedy, she remains determined to find her place in the world. When her husband Jack takes her on a tour of Europe, she meets talented artists and brilliant authors, launching her newfound passion for collecting. When she opened her home as a museum in 1903, she was already known for scandalizing Boston society and on her way to creating a legacy.

Why read it? This is a rich, vivid, and nuanced portrait of a courageous woman pursuing a purposeful life despite the restrictive cultural expectations of her time. The details and beautiful prose highlight a complex woman making her way in a man’s world and leaving Boston an artistic legacy that lives on. (Oh, and if you've never been to this museum? Plan a trip soon. It's beautiful, has a wild story of an art theft in 1990, and is an excellent excuse to go into town.)

More: Rock 'n' roller Myles Connor turned to life of crime. He's the subject of a documentary

Book tells story of Nantucket’s Great Fire of 1846: 'Daughters of Nantucket'

"Daughters of Nantucket," a novel by Julie Gerstenblatt, is set during Nantucket’s Great Fire of 1846 and tells the story of three determined and courageous women.

In 1846, Nantucket was a small, isolated island. Women and children had to fend for themselves for extended periods while seafaring husbands attempted to make a living on the seas. With her husband gone, Eliza Macy struggles to make ends meet for her two young daughters. Meg Wright, a pregnant, free black woman, faces racial bigotry and opposition from Eliza Macy as she, too, seeks to improve her family’s financial status. Meanwhile, Maria Mitchell, astronomer and manager of Nantucket’s Atheneum, is struggling with secrets of her own.

On the eve of the 1846 fire, these three very different women must fight to overcome their differences if they hope to hold on to what they hold dear.

And if you don't know of this real fire on Nantucket , you'll learn something, too.

Why read it? This fascinating, emotionally moving, and remarkably well-researched novel offers an unforgettable story of love, loss, friendship, and redemption.

Book tells story of a Beacon Hill and Harvard scandal with a little Nathaniel Hawthorne thrown in, too: 'The Invisible Hour'

" The Invisible Hour," a novel by Alice Hoffman, begins with Ivy Jacob, daughter of a wealthy Beacon Hill family, who has gotten pregnant by a Harvard undergraduate who abandons her. Ivy’s scandalized parents attempt to send her away and put the baby up for adoption. Instead, Ivy runs away and joins a cult led by an authoritarian leader who rejects the modern world and bans all reading material.

Genre: Fiction

Ivy’s daughter Mia grows up amidst this intolerable oppression, only finding one brief reprieve when she manages to escape to a nearby library. She collects a few precious books, but when they are discovered and burned, Mia begins to contemplate suicide. However, a well-hidden copy of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter survives, as does she. The novel saves her life, and Mia obsessively dreams about meeting Hawthorne. With the magic of time travel, she manages to make it her reality, hoping she will finally find love, freedom, and safety.

In a Q & A on the publisher's site, the author is asked why she is drawn to setting many of her books in Massachusetts. "I’ll always be a New Yorker, but for me Massachusetts is filled with magic. Massachusetts has a great literary history. It’s also beautiful and mysterious and my adopted home."

Among her many other works, "Practical Magic" by Hoffman is set in fictional Maria's Island in Massachusetts, and in New York City in the mid-20th century. Her book "Here on Earth" is also set in Massachusetts. "Blackbird House" traces the lives of the various occupants of an old Massachusetts house over a span of two hundred years.

Why read it? For fans of time travel, this uniquely captivating, immersive fantasy celebrates the mother-daughter bond and the power of books to heal.

Book set in Hull: 'Feels like Summer'

" Feels Like Summer," by Wendy Francis, to be released May 28, is a story about the Lancaster sisters who come together for a much-anticipated reunion in their beloved coastal town, Hull, Massachusetts. Each of the three women struggle with intensely private secrets that involve lovers, husbands, and affairs, which ultimately threaten to make their annual Memorial Day celebration a cataclysmic event that could break them apart forever.

She has also written "The Summer of Good Intentions," set on the Cape, and "Summertime Guests," set in Boston.

Why Read It? If you are looking for a sizzling summer read that explores the complex bond between sisters and offers romance and mystery, this book is for you! Moreover, it provides an insider’s look at life in Hull, capturing this well-known coastal town's culture, spirit, and history.

Nancy Harris, of Scituate, is a practicing psychologist and a former instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School.

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There’s a New Covid Variant. What Will That Mean for Spring and Summer?

Experts are closely watching KP.2, now the leading variant.

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A man wearing a mask coughs into his hand on a subway train.

By Dani Blum

For most of this year, the JN.1 variant of the coronavirus accounted for an overwhelming majority of Covid cases . But now, an offshoot variant called KP.2 is taking off. The variant, which made up just one percent of cases in the United States in mid-March, now makes up over a quarter.

KP.2 belongs to a subset of Covid variants that scientists have cheekily nicknamed “FLiRT,” drawn from the letters in the names of their mutations. They are descendants of JN.1, and KP.2 is “very, very close” to JN.1, said Dr. David Ho, a virologist at Columbia University. But Dr. Ho has conducted early lab tests in cells that suggest that slight differences in KP.2’s spike protein might make it better at evading our immune defenses and slightly more infectious than JN.1.

While cases currently don’t appear to be on the rise, researchers and physicians are closely watching whether the variant will drive a summer surge.

“I don’t think anybody’s expecting things to change abruptly, necessarily,” said Dr. Marc Sala, co-director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Covid-19 Center in Chicago. But KP.2 will most likely “be our new norm,’” he said. Here’s what to know.

The current spread of Covid

Experts said it would take several weeks to see whether KP.2 might lead to a rise in Covid cases, and noted that we have only a limited understanding of how the virus is spreading. Since the public health emergency ended , there is less robust data available on cases, and doctors said fewer people were using Covid tests.

But what we do know is reassuring: Despite the shift in variants, data from the C.D.C. suggests there are only “minimal ” levels of the virus circulating in wastewater nationally, and emergency department visits and hospitalizations fell between early March and late April.

“I don’t want to say that we already know everything about KP.2,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, the chief of research and development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System. “But at this time, I’m not seeing any major indications of anything ominous.”

Protection from vaccines and past infections

Experts said that even if you had JN.1, you may still get reinfected with KP.2 — particularly if it’s been several months or longer since your last bout of Covid.

KP.2 could infect even people who got the most updated vaccine, Dr. Ho said, since that shot targets XBB.1.5, a variant that is notably different from JN.1 and its descendants. An early version of a paper released in April by researchers in Japan suggested that KP.2 might be more adept than JN.1 at infecting people who received the most recent Covid vaccine. (The research has not yet been peer-reviewed or published.) A spokesperson for the C.D.C. said the agency was continuing to monitor how vaccines perform against KP.2.

Still, the shot does provide some protection, especially against severe disease, doctors said, as do previous infections. At this point, there isn’t reason to believe that KP.2 would cause more severe illness than other strains, the C.D.C. spokesperson said. But people who are 65 and older, pregnant or immunocompromised remain at higher risk of serious complications from Covid.

Those groups, in particular, may want to get the updated vaccine if they haven’t yet, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. The C.D.C. has recommended t hat people 65 and older who already received one dose of the updated vaccine get an additional shot at least four months later.

“Even though it’s the lowest level of deaths and hospitalizations we’ve seen, I’m still taking care of sick people with Covid,” he said. “And they all have one unifying theme, which is that they’re older and they didn’t get the latest shot.”

The latest on symptoms and long Covid

Doctors said that the symptoms of both KP.2 and JN.1 — which now makes up around 16 percent of cases — are most likely similar to those seen with other variants . These include sore throat, runny nose, coughing, head and body aches, fever, congestion, fatigue and in severe cases, shortness of breath. Fewer people lose their sense of taste and smell now than did at the start of the pandemic, but some people will still experience those symptoms.

Dr. Chin-Hong said that patients were often surprised that diarrhea, nausea and vomiting could be Covid symptoms as well, and that they sometimes confused those issues as signs that they had norovirus .

For many people who’ve already had Covid, a reinfection is often as mild or milder than their first case. While new cases of long Covid are less common now than they were at the start of the pandemic, repeat infections do raise the risk of developing long Covid, said Fikadu Tafesse, a virologist at Oregon Health & Science University. But researchers are still trying to determine by how much — one of many issues scientists are trying to untangle as the pandemic continues to evolve.

“That’s the nature of the virus,” Dr. Tafesse said. “It keeps mutating.”

Dani Blum is a health reporter for The Times. More about Dani Blum

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"The Story of an Hour" Summary & Analysis
After her initial sobs of grief subside, Louise escapes into her bedroom and locks the door. She refuses to let Josephine or Richards follow her. Alone, she falls into a chair placed before an open window. Absolutely drained by her own anguish and haunted by exhaustion, she rests in the chair and looks out the window.
Analysis of Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour
Analysis of Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on July 28, 2021. Originally entitled "The Dream of an Hour" when it was first published in Vogue (December 1894), "The Story of an Hour" has since become one of Kate Chopin's most frequently anthologized stories. Among her shortest and most daring works, "Story" examines issues of feminism, namely, a woman's ...
A Summary and Analysis of Kate Chopin's 'The Story of an Hour'
Yet Chopin's short story is, upon closer inspection, a subtle, studied analysis of death, marriage, and personal wishes. Written in April 1894 and originally published in Vogue in December of that year, the story focuses on an hour in the life of a married woman who has just learnt that her husband has apparently died.
The Story of an Hour Analysis
The Story of an Hour Analysis. L ouise's newfound hope for the future in the wake of her husband's death encapsulates the oftentimes repressive nature of nineteenth-century marriages.; Chopin uses ...
Kate Chopin: The Setting in "The Story of an Hour" Essay (Review)
Kate Chopin: The Setting in "The Story of an Hour" Essay (Review) The story of an hour is an impressive masterpiece that appeals to the emotions and the mind of the audience because every word in this short story has a lot of sense and deep meaning. The main character in the book is Mrs. Mallard who is lucky to experience the happiness of ...
Story Of An Hour Setting Analysis: [Essay Example], 726 words
In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," the setting plays a crucial role in shaping the narrative and the protagonist's emotional journey. Set in the late 19th century, the story unfolds in a time when women's roles and freedoms were severely restricted. Through the lens of the protagonist, Louise Mallard, readers are transported to a world ...
The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin
The setting in "The Story of an Hour" is important to provide context for the short story. It is set in the 19th century, when wives were seen almost as property. ... 9th Grade Essay Basics: Types ...
The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin, characters, setting
Tina Rathborne (sometimes spelled Rathbone or Rathbourne) directed; she and Nancy Dyer wrote the script. Set in New Orleans in the 1870s, the film does not follow the almost existential lack of a specific setting and time in "The Story of an Hour.". It leans toward the New Orleans settings of The Awakening.
"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin: A Critical Analysis
Introduction: "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin. "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin, first published in 1894 in the St. Louis Life magazine, was later included in the 1895 collection "Vojageur" and in the 1895 edition of "Bayou Folk". This iconic short story features a unique narrative structure, where the protagonist ...
The Use of Setting in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin
Words: 1133 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read. Published: Jan 28, 2021. "The Story of an Hour" is a short story by Kate Chopin. The use of setting will be easier because the reader can associate these facts with some human behaviours or some human emotions. Also, Chopin uses these setting facts in her story. In this story, Kate Chopin writes about ...
The Story of an Hour: Summary and Analysis
In this guide to Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," we'll discuss: A brief history of Kate Chopin and America the 1890s. "The Story of an Hour" summary. Analysis of the key story elements in "The Story of an Hour," including themes, characters, and symbols. By the end of this article, you'll have an expert grasp on Kate ...
The Story of an Hour Critical Analysis Essay
The Story of an Hour was written by Kate Chopin in 1984. It describes a woman, Mrs. Mallard, who lost her husband in an accident, but later the truth came out, and the husband was alive. This essay will discuss The Story of an Hour with emphasis on the plot and development of the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard, who goes through contrasting emotions ...
Analysis of "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
In "The Story of an Hour," there is both internal and external conflict. The essence of the latter is in the opposition of a person to society and its norms. Chopin refers to one of "the numerous paradoxes against which the woman had to survive in the American society in the 19 th century" - imposed roles and stereotypes (Kusi and ...
The Story of an Hour Essays and Criticism
PDF Cite Share. "The Story of an Hour" is built around the "expression of a woman's shockingly unorthodox feelings about her marriage''; so says Bert Bender, in an essay devoted to Chopin's short ...
The Story of an Hour Historical and Social Context
The Woman Question. "The Story of an Hour" was published in 1894, an era in which many social and cultural questions occupied Americans' minds. One of these, referred to as the "Woman Question ...
Analysis of Style, Tone, and Language in The Story of an Hour by Kate
Style in "The Story of an Hour" The style, tone, and language Kate Chopin used contributed to the success and controversy of "The Story of an Hour." The style of "The Story of an Hour" describes how women sometimes feel in a marriage, confined and trapped, and how Mrs. Mallard is set "free" after her husbands' death.
The Story of an Hour Analysis & Summary
Topic: The Story of an Hour Words: 1585 Pages: 6. This sample will help you write a The Story of an Hour analysis essay! Here you'll find a The Story of an Hour summary. Essay also contains a plot and character analysis. Table of Contents. The Story of an Hour is a short story written by Kate Chopin in 1894.
Freedom and Independence Theme in The Story of an Hour
In "The Story of an Hour," freedom and independence—not love, not friends, not family, not honor or glory or anything else—are held up as what make a life worth living. Though Louise is at first genuinely upset by the news of Brently 's death—and though she makes it clear that she will greatly mourn the loss of her husband—over ...
An ancient manuscript up for sale gives a glimpse into the history of
The Dishna Papers included a few additional literary texts. One codex in this mostly Christian library contains several comedies by the Hellenistic playwright Menander.
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Walker, Texas Ranger ended with a bang and a proper sendoff for Chuck Norris and the series. The series was rebooted as Walker on the CW, offering a darker reimagining for a new era. Despite the ...
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Rudy Giuliani was officially served indictment papers over the weekend — while at his own birthday party. So, on Monday morning's episode of "The View," moderator Whoopi Goldberg was simply ...
108 The Story of an Hour Essay Topics & Examples
Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour". Mallard, the protagonist of the story, learns that her husband died as a result of a train accident. Mallard understands that the rest of the life she has will be spent the way she wants. Chopin's "The Story of an Hour", Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper", and Walker's "Everyday Use".
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Book tells story of a Beacon Hill and Harvard scandal with a little Nathaniel Hawthorne thrown in, too: 'The Invisible Hour' "The Invisible Hour," a novel by Alice Hoffman, begins with Ivy Jacob ...
What to Know About New Covid Variants, 'FLiRT': Symptoms, Vaccines and
Doctors said that the symptoms of both KP.2 and JN.1 — which now makes up around 16 percent of cases — are most likely similar to those seen with other variants. These include sore throat ...
Gov. Abbott pardons Daniel Perry for 2020 fatal Black Lives Matter
The Texas Board of Pardons has recommended a full pardon to Daniel Perry, a US Army sergeant who was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of murdering a protester at a Black Lives ...