Symbolism In Kate Chopin's 'Story Of An Hour'

Words: 1165
Pages: 5
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Brandon Colon
Mrs. Rufino
English 102
25 May 2016
Death’s Symbolism as Joy “The Story of an Hour” revolves, mostly, around Mrs. Mallard, who is used to develop many themes throughout the story. The story is mostly comprised of the themes of freedom and death. Other themes evidently seen are time, confinement, marriage and emotional regression. Normally, death brings sorrow, grief, seclusion, and guilt amongst other feelings. However, “Story of an Hour” proves that death can not only bring sorrow and grief, but can also bring joy in certain cases, and eventually independence. Kate Chopin uses death to symbolize joy and independence.
The story begins by introducing the main character’s struggle. Mrs. Mallard is said to have “heart trouble” (Chopin …show more content…
Body and soul free” (Chopin 14) escape her lips. Mrs. Mallard appears overjoyed time and time again. She is finally free from a life and marriage that was oppressive and belittling. After her husband passed away she was immediately free from obeying someone else’s rules, and she was free from a name that no longer belonged to her and no longer fully loved (Weinstock). She becomes her own boss for once in her life and is even referred to by her first name. By using her first name instead of her last name symbolizes her attempt to slowly get back her original identity with which she was forced to abandon when she got married. Her sense of freedom and independence slowly begins to settle in (Cunningham). “She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life” (Chopin 14): this shows that even though Mrs. Mallard was greatly sorrowed by her husband’s death, the other part of her life still carried on. Her husband passed away, but all she could see from her window were the signs of “new life” (Chopin 13). Spring itself is usually a sign of rebirth. It was ironic that her husband would die during that time of year (Weinstock). Loiuse Mallard is described as, “[sitting] with her head thrown back upon the cushion of the chair, quite motionless, except when a sob in its dreams” (Chopin 14). In this context, Mrs. Mallard body appears to separate itself. Yet, her mind …show more content…
It tells the reader that she used to live the way her husband wanted to and not the way she wanted to. After the death, she will live by her own wishes, which is something she has ever experienced before. Mrs. Mallard is afraid of what will happen in her afterlife as “she breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long” (Chopin 14). This is another example of Chopin’s use of irony because the prayer is never answered (Weinstock). “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease - of joy that kills” (Chopin 15). Hearing the news of that her husband was still alive shocked her enormously. After experiencing such grief and sorrow, and also joy, her heart could not take anymore. However, the reader can conclude that other feelings may have killed her. Not only was she shocked from the news that her husband was still alive but she was also disappointed that her fantasy had been shattered: that all the freedom she thought she had was gone.
As illustrated throughout “Story of An Hour”, death has shown that it can be seen from different points of views with different meanings. (Weinstock). Although she experienced grief and sorrow because of her husband’s death, she was happier that she was going to be free of oppression. In fact, she
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