Essay Story of an Hour

Submitted By marilynn11
Words: 1304
Pages: 6
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These stories portray the challenges of conforming to others expectations while being subjects of oppression. In the "Story of an Hour" Mrs. Mallard dies after years of oppression and her pleasure when releasing the "physical exhaustion that haunted her body" from the "joy that kills" when receiving the news of her husband's death. In "A Rose for Emily", oppression is exhibited by the abandoning of her sweetheart and the death of her father resulting in the death of homer. All three stories seem to show the symbol of the challenge of conforming to others expectations while being oppressed in very distinctive situations but eventually conclude with the same symbolic perception.
In the "Story of an Hour " the news of Mrs. Mallard’s husbands' death gives you the picture of a miserable Mrs. Mallard, but the actions that follow are very much apart from any sadness or loss. Soon after receiving the news about her husband’s death, Mrs. Mallard walks upstairs to a room in her house and releases the "physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul". While starring through the "elixir of life through that open window" she reflects on the years of oppression she lived with her husband and finally "free,free,free" at last. As she sits in the armchair inside of her room the visions of new life and the fresh exquisite air filling "every inch of her body " an enormous amount of joy seemed to captivate her.
Motionless Mrs. Mallard sat on that chair mumbling the words “Free! Body and soul free!" Enjoying every second of it with extreme pleasure like if she was waiting for it all her life. Years with her husband were those of oppression and the discomfort of not being able to be happy. But even though she had loved her husband, often she didn’t, which made the situation much less wrongful but much more accepting. Moments before her death she was remembering the previous day and thoughts of thinking life might be long but at that point it didn’t seem that way at all. After some time,Mrs.Mallards sister, insisted she open up the door and not make herself ill but what happened soon after she opened the door was unpleasant. Mrs. Mallard was found lifeless and explained by paramedics that she had died of a heart disease resulting from the "joy that kills".
In "A Rose for Emily" there seems to be a relevance in the symbol expressed in the story with that of my previous story. Emily, at the beginning of the story, was described the complete opposite of what she turns out to be which shines light the effects of oppression. She was quite good until the death of her father and the abandonment by her sweetheart, which challenges her in many aspects. Soon after the loss of booth her father and sweetheart, there was not much seen of Emily or her in any other relationship only for the Negro going in and out with a grocery basket from time to time.
After some time there was complaints of Emily's place smelling of a bad odor but yet it seemed like it was a bad thing of accusing a lady of age of smelling bad so an alternative to make the smell go away avoided accusing her. One day she entered the store to buy some very potent poison for some odd reason. She told the druggist "i want the best you have" and despite the doubts the druggist had of selling it she walked out with arsenic. Soon after she met a guy named Homer whom everybody believed she would marry him and they were seen together many times till one day Homer and Emily jus disappeared. The next time Emily was seen she was turning gray and soon after she passed away in one of her downstairs room but in the room upstairs which no one had seen in 40 years, laid the body of Homer with a long string of iron gray hair.

The last story " A Good Man is Hard to Find" depicts the story of a woman and her families trip where they encounter with a man they feared running into who had just escaped prison which introduces oppression by his incarceration and lack of
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