Custom «Literary Reading Empirical and Theoretical Studies» Essay Paper Sample

Kate Chopin’s story, “The Story of an Hour,” describes the nature of relationship between Mrs. Mallard and her husband Mr. Brently Mallard. Their relationship in marriage had not been a smooth one. The problem was Mrs. Mallard’s strong belief on feminism. To her, being accountable to a man was a form of oppression that was not acceptable (Stein 61).

Her true feeling of a woman’s independence was revealed when her husband died from the rail road disaster. Expecting that she would be greatly shocked by the news of the death of her husband, Richard was defeated to break the news to her. Even her sister Josephine had to carefully devise a gentle way to break the news to her. Contrary to these expectations, Mrs. Mallard was never touched by the death of the husband. Pretending to have been touched by the news, she responded in the infamous way of weeping at once with wild abandonment in her sister’s arms. The grief was very temporary and seemed to simply represent a moment of transition between the unconscious and the conscious mind (Miall 133).

Her feeling of relief from the death of the husband was well evidenced once she remained alone in the room. According to Miall, she made herself comfortable as though to rid herself of the daily oppressions (Miall 132). Symbolism has been used to a great extent in the story to prove the fact that the husband’s death presented a golden opportunity for her to start the life on a new ground. Such descriptions as that of a new spring, a breath of rain which brought it and the notes of the song that reached her faintly, are all symbols of the new freedom.

The twittering of the sparrows in the eves also symbolized the end of the old days and the beginning of the new dawn. Kahle adds that parches of blue sky brought peace and confidence in the next endeavor, which was to enjoy the freedom that she had suddenly obtained (Kahle, 11). Everything within her and around her symbolized the confirmation of her breakthrough into freedom. The sounds, scents and colors that filled the air made her possessed with the feeling of freedom. She even turned in to a song of freedom (Kahle 11).

Her young age, calm face and endued strength seemed to have acted as ingredients for her to walk into her freedom. Unfortunately, the much awaited freedom was cut off by the mysterious reappearance of the oppressor, Mr. Mallard. His reappearance signified the return of her oppression through the male domination. She could not withstand this any more. She therefore died of shock and disappointment that resulted from learning that her much celebrated independence had just been scuttled.