story of an hour by kate

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Discussion Questions for Consideration:

For “The Story of an Hour:” Is there textual evidence that the Mallards’ marriage had some element of love/affection within it and that Mrs. Mallard grieves when she learns of her loss? Mrs. Mallard experiences an epiphany while in her bedroom. Why is her behavior/thoughts in direct conflict with historical context of the late 19th century? What is your interpretation of the ironic ending? Did Mrs. Mallard really die of “the joy that kills” or was it for another reason entirely? THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION SHOULD BE ONE FULL PAGE.Featured Writer: Kate Chopin

Attached Files:

Featured writer: Kate Chopin

As you read “The Story of an Hour,” it is important that you keep historical context in mind. Chopin was writing during the late 19th century. This was a time, greatly influenced by the Victorian Era in England, when gender roles were strictly defined and sharply unequal, particularly in marriage. Although women were gaining certain rights (i.e. going to college), these rights were generally reserved for the upper class. Women at this time were still considered to be the “property” of men. They were defined by domestic duties and motherhood. Marriage was more about duty and the elevation of stature rather than by passion/intimacy. Therefore, it would be considered scandalous for women to desire or discuss sex. Also, women did not have a real “voice” at this time and were discouraged from developing a true identity. In New Orleans (where Chopin was living), people followed the “Napoleonic Code” which asserted that women did not have the right to bear witness to anything and that they were the possession of their husbands. Insert Kate Chopin into this context and you will soon see (after reading her work) that she definitely defied these cultural rules.

Before the publication of “The Story of an Hour,” Chopin enjoyed a respected, elevated status as a “literary lion.” She had been published in several magazines but, at this time, her stories were not controversial and focused more on things like gardening and events occurring in Louisiana. After the death of her husband, she began to write short stories that were increasingly against the grain. As readers of “The Story of an Hour” and “The Storm” (another story by Chopin where the married heroine has a sexual encounter with another married man), you will have to transport yourself back in time and think about how those in the 19th century (particularly men), reacted to Chopin’s short stories. From a modern perspective, the content may not make us blink an eye. But at that time, heroines who desired a life/independence apart from their husbands (Mrs. Mallard) and those who committed adultery without an ounce of remorse (Calixta in “The Storm”) caused quite an uproar among literary critics (again, male critics..). Chopin herself was considered to be quite the “rebel” and it has been said that she “scandalized” the neighborhood by sitting with her legs uncrossed! She also gained notoriety by drinking a beer while sitting outside on her porch. Again, this behavior, by our standards now, isn’t considered disgraceful or unladylike. But in 1894, think again…

In 1899, Chopin published a novel, The Awakening. Here is when the outrage reached full force. Her novel featured a heroine who was unhappy in her marriage, who took a lover, and who moved away from her husband to live alone. Rather than be forced to return to her husband and a marriage that was without emotional and sexual fulfillment, Chopin has her heroine, Edna, swim out to sea at the end of the novel, the interpretation being that she ends her life. The book was banned from stores, burned and subsequently, Chopin had difficulty publishing much after this.

There began a reemergence of her work in the early 1960’s and by the 1970’s/80’s, there was a “Chopin revival.” Her work is now considered to be a significant part of our literary canon and is incorporated into high school and college studies across the country.

To read excerpts from interviews with literary scholars as well as from Chopin’s grandson, click on the link “Kate Chopin” beneath the heading “Week Two Featured Writer: Kate Chopin.

 
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