A Literary Analysis of “The Story of an Hour”

The story of an hour is a short story written by Kate Chopin in 19th century and illustrates life in that period of time. During that time period, women were owned by their husbands, they had a little to no control over their own lives. This situation is adapted by the author into the story, how marriage in the 19th century does not allow women to feel any sense of freedom. The husband has full power in the relationship, while the wife must always bend to his will. She must 'live for' him rather than for herself. Another indication about how the writer reveals gender inequality in this story is how the narrator at the beginning of the story called the protagonist 'Mrs. Mallard', but her husband was called by his first name. The protagonist's first name is not revealed until much later in the story, she is only referred to as the wife of Brenty Mallard.

The theme of the story is about the idea of freedom. The main character imagines about how free her life would be without the existence of her husband.

The primary action of the story takes place in the Mallards' home, which is barely described. From the story, we knew that the house has more than one floor because there is a staircase inside, Mrs. Mallard's room is upstairs and there's a comfortable roomy armchair in the room facing the window. From the title of the story, we already know that everything in this little drama happens within an hour. We also notice that during that time, nobody leaves the house. Men come in, but no one goes out.

The author uses a third person omniscient narrator to tell the whole story. At the prologue, the readers know something that the protagonist does not and at the epilogue, the story continues after the protagonist died (Paragraph 20). The narrator is not simply an observer, it is obvious that the narrator know more than can be physically observed. The narrator knows, for example, that Mrs. Mallard, for the most part, did not love her husband (Paragraph 13).

The structure of the plot is chronological, the author tells the story straight from the beginning to the end. The conflict starts when Mr. Mallard's friend, Richard, get word that Mr. Mallard died. He has to break the news to Mrs. Mallard as gently as possible because Mrs. Mallard has a heart trouble. The conflict raise as Mrs. Mallard struggles with her own grief, but she also can not avoid the fact that in the bottom of her heart, she feels relieved and there's a little tiny joy coming from realization that she is free and she would live for herself from now on. Then the climax takes place when Mr. Mallard comes home, one-hundred percent alive and far from dead, Mrs. Mallard got shocked and passed away.

In 'the story of an hour', there are some symbolism that the author use, for example, metaphor is used in this sentence "No; she was drinking in a very elixir of life through that open window", we knew that she does not really 'drink' anything. I believe that the author uses it to describe the sense of freedom that she feels. The author also use personification in "But she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching towards her through the sounds, the scent, the color that filled the air", we all know that feelings can not physically grasp on to you, the author uses this to express the intensity of the  feelings that Mrs. Mallard will soon experiencing.

Last but not least, the last phrase of the story "of the joy that kills", is my favorite. It is so ironic because in the story we knew Richard quickly tries to get in the way of Mrs. Mallards' sight so she is not able to see her husband. I assume that Richard did it because he does not want her to see her 'dead' husband alive, which will obviously make her happy but shock as well. Richard failed, Mrs. Mallard already saw her husband and she died of shock. The witnesses say that she is died from the joy of seeing her husband again, but in fact she died of shock from the realization that the new freedom and independence that she had previously had when she believed her husband was dead, is now will be impossible.

(The analysis was written by me to be submitted as an assignment for Prose Class, English Department, University of Pamulang)