Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour and Feminism in the 1800s

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, feminism is defined as the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism is a major part of the short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin, which is a story that portrays women’s lack of freedom in the1800s. Women had no rights, and had to cater to all of their husband’s needs. The main character in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is a woman who suffers from heart trouble, named Mrs. Mallard. When Mrs. Mallard was told about her husband’s death, she was initially emotional, but because of her husband’s death she reaped freedom and became swept away with joy. The story is ironic because Mrs. Mallard learns her husband was not dead, and instead of exulting†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely† (Chopin 157). She feels free from the obligatio ns to her husband that was forced upon her during the Victorian era and she is looking forward to the years of independent freedom that are yet to come. â€Å"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† (157). Mrs. Mallard did not want to submit to the oppressor, who in this case, was her husband. She wanted to make her own decisions and didn’t want to take orders from her husband. She was forced to live that way because her husband controlled her. Once she found out that he was supposedly dead, she felt free from the male oppression that she had been a victim of since the day she and her husband exchanged vows. Mrs. Mallard would rather live for herself and not have to live for her husband, and his alleged death allowed her to live for herself without gett ing a divorce, so her society wouldn’t look down upon her. â€Å"The Story of an Hour† was written in a time period when women had no rights in the male-dominatedShow MoreRelatedThe Story Of An Hour And A Pair Of Silk Stockings By Kate Chopin1057 Words   |  5 Pagesliterary repertoire, or style, to appeal to the audience in which they are writing to. Kate Chopin is a well-known writer, known for her works that mainly focus around women and their expected roles in society. Chopin’s writings are often based on the effect that the turn of the century had on women, which she best expresses in her two short stories â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and â€Å"A Pair of Silk Stockings†. In both of the stories previously stated, the author gives the audience just enough background on theRead MoreKate Chopin: A Woman Ahead of Her Time Essay1390 Words   |  6 Pages Kate Chopin a Woman Ahead of Time In the 1800s married women had to submit to their husbands. Woman who got married had no voice with law. This meant their husbands would have to take legal action for them. Wives did not have any rights to their own property, and they would not have right to wages they earn. But these started to change through feminist women who raised their voice against men. 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It is about a woman, Louise, whose husband â€Å"died† in a train accident. When she finds out, she thinks of herself as free. Why would she be so happy when she just found out that her husband, Brentley, had died? She then finds out that her husband did not die. She then dies after seeingRead MoreThe Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin1161 Words   |  5 PagesFeminism is played out in a major way in Kate Chopins’ â€Å"The Story of an Hour.† The story portrays a story about the lack of freedom that all woman had in the 1800’s. The word feminism as defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes. A woman’s job and duty in the 1800’s was to tend to the needs of their husband’s needs. In â€Å"The Story of an Hour† Mrs. Mallard, one of the main characters, was told about her husband’s death and sheRead MoreThe Unique Style Of Kate Chopin s Writing1603 Words   |  7 PagesThe unique style of Kate Chopin’s writing has influenced and paved the way for many female authors. Although not verbally, Kate Chopin aired political and social issues affecting women and challenging the validity of such restrictions through fiction. Kate Chopin, a feminist in her time, prevailed against the notion that a woman’s purpose was to only be a housewife and nothing more. Kate Chopin fortified the importance of women empowerment, self-expression, self-assertion, and female sexuality throughRead More The Variety of Feminisms and their Contributions to Gender Equality by Judith Lorber1120 Words   |  5 PagesJudith Lorber wrote in her article, The Variety of Feminisms and their Contributions to Gender Equality feminist denominations arose from different views, making many contributions to improve women†™s status. Lorber discusses the views of, â€Å"gender reform feminisms, gender resistant feminisms, and gender revolution feminisms†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (1) etcetera, all which have fought to improve women’s rights. Though there are many different aspects of viewing feminism, writer and contributor of owl.purdue.edu, Allen BrizeeRead MoreRepression in the 18th Century Essay753 Words   |  4 PagesThe Story of an Hour Kate Chopins ideas of feminism were seen in this story through Louise Mallards reaction after the death of her husband. I will prove that the repression Louise Mallard felt was so intense she would rather die than spend another day in servitude. Also I will cite an example of how the authors feelings of repression were seen through Louise Mallard. After Louise Mallard received the news of her husbands death from her sister and husbands friend, Richards, a newRead MoreModern Heroine By Kate Chopin1363 Words   |  6 Pageshas also changed. Back in the 1800s women characters, whether fictional or not, could not be portrayed as rebellious, working, or even sexual beings. Of course there were some authors that did not follow these rules and they were not being published. Others, instead, wrote their works in a way that would be accepted by society rules, however, they were still making strong-minded women protagonists. One of these very famous authors is Kate Chopin. In every short story or novel her main character wasRead MoreAnalysis Of Kate Chopin s The Things That A Woman 1361 Words   |  6 Pageshas also changed. Back in the 1800s women characters, whether fictional or not, could not be portrayed as rebellious, working, or even sexual beings. Of course there were some authors that did not follow these rules and they we re not being published. Others, instead, wrote their works in a way that would be accepted by society rules, however, they were still making strong-minded women protagonists. One of these very famous authors is Kate Chopin. In every short story or novel her main character was