Having an unpopular opinion that differs from society is, often times, looked down upon and is not easy to do. It requires much strength to branch away from the traditional beliefs of society and develop a new voice. Author Kate Chopin was able to create her own personal literary voice based on her unique childhood upbringing. Kate Chopin is able to bring the reader into her own world previously unknown to society by using the development of characters, and interesting plot, and irony. Chopin is an influential author known for the powerful female characters present in her stories. At the time, Chopin’s stories received a lot of criticism, as they were unconventional for the time. Most definitely, Kate Chopin is truly a “literary genius,” by today’s standards. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” establishes her remarkable literary influence by connecting the plot and character development, using vocabulary and irony.
The conditions surrounding Kate Chopin’s life and upbringing contributed to her literary voice. When Kate Chopin was only five years old, her father died. This left her mother and grandmother to raise Kate, and they would serve as an example of the strength to Kate. In being raised by these female characters, Kate found an alternative role for women. At the time, women mostly were responsibility for upholding the household and did not have much power outside of the home. Kate Chopin was born in St. Louis Missouri, and, where she was recognized for her unorthodox beliefs in comparison to traditional society. In 1870, Kate married her husband Oscar, and together they had six children. Just ten years later, Kate’s husband died of Malaria and she was left to raise her six children on her own (OnCampus). This difficult situation allowed Kate become more passionate to write about the strength that women have. Through the various relationships present in Chopin’s writing the focus on character in “The Story of an Hour”, allows readers to establish their own personal connection with the characters. Today Kate Chopins’ various stories is classified in the Realism period. Realism is the truthful treatment of material that focuses on everyday events that portray ordinary people and how they deal with society. One can describe Realist writing as stories that are socially critical of social, contain common events, and focus on the character. All of these Realist characteristics are present in “The Story of an Hour.”
For example, when Mrs. Mallard’s sister breaks the news that her husband has died, readers are told: “It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing (Chopin 1).” This example focuses on the verisimilitude, or the holding of a mirror up to reality, present in Realism. After all, many people would break the news of a death of a loved to a family member. Lastly, Chopin believed that real fiction is a reflection of life. The realist principle of verisimilitude of showing the realistic “slice of life” guided Kate Chopin in writing her stories. Kate’s personal self is seen through the character of Mrs. Mallard. Although Kate Chopin was not appreciated for her exceptional literary talent during her lifetime, her use of Realism helps others to the story to their own lives. Kate Chopin is successful in incorporating plot and character development within “The Story of an Hour.” The plot of a story a literary term used to describe the sequence of events that make up a story. Chopin uses the development of characters to better the plot and invite the reader to build an emotional connection to the characters within the story. The plot and character development within “The Story of an Hour” are connected to each other.
The plot is mainly taking place within Mrs. Mallard’s mind. This forces the reader to form a relationship with Mrs. Mallard, as the story is told through her thoughts. In the story, Mrs. Mallard is described having a heart trouble. This is why her sister was very careful in revealing the news of her husband’s death to Mrs. Mallard. It is also told that she is “young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength” (Chopin 1). This information is crucial to understanding why Mrs. Mallard only grieves for her husband for a moment. It is lead to believe that Mrs. Mallard’s marriage was not a healthy one. Mrs. Mallard’s marriage restricted her from expressing herself; rather she lived under her husband’s jurisdiction. She was never allowed to show her true emotions or the strength she had, instead she had to ignore these feelings. The plot also shows that Mrs. Mallard overlooks the freedom she feels after her husband’s death because of her weak characterization. She feels powerless to resist this freedom that is now present in her life. For the first time, Mrs. Mallard feels as if she has a chance at freedom from the life has previously restrained her from true happiness. The combination of character development and the importance of plot in the story is not only seen in Mrs. Mallard, but also in her husband.
Chopin exclaims in her writing, “There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime…” (Chopin 2). This is the only part of the story that Mr. Mallard’s character is hinted at. This passage, although short, reveals much about Mr. Mallard’s characters. Readers can conclude that he was a very controlling man, who forced his authority over Mrs. Mallard. He did not recognize that he was restraining his wife. The character and plot development present within this story provide readers with the necessary tools to develop to bring this story to life within their imaginations. The use of irony within Chopin’s writing brings an unexpected element of surprise to the plot of the story. There are many examples of Chopin using irony to foreshadow the ending. For instance, an irony is shown in this story is when it is told, “her pulse beat fast, and then the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body” (Chopin 1). It is ironic that blood, which is often the representation of life, was what calmed her and kept her alive; however, at the end Mrs. Mallard dies. Another example of irony is through the prayer that Mrs. Mallard prays.
Readers are told, “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 2). This prayer is answered, when she sees Mr. Mallard at the bottom of the stairs; but it is ironic that she immediately had a heart attack that killed her. Lastly, the strong use of irony is seen through the word ‘joy.’ Mrs. Mallard joy is described as “monstrous” when she first discovers the feeling of freedom from her husband (Chopin 1). It is ironic that this joy eventually is what causes Mrs. Mallard’s death. In the last line of the story, the doctors say that Mrs. Mallard died “of heart disease—of joy that kills” (Chopin 2). When Mrs. Mallard sees Mr. Mallard alive she is shocked. It is the knowing that she would never feel the “monstrous joy” she had felt without his restraints on her that causes her death.
Chopin uses irony in this story to focus on the verisimilitude aspect of Realism in showing the reality of Mrs. Mallard’s life. To bring “The Story of an Hour” to life, Chopin uses many metaphors and strong vocabulary that helps to bring the story to life. As discussed, Mrs. Mallard’s heart troubles eventually contribute to her death. Her heart trouble could not only affect her physically, but to a greater extent one that affected her emotionally that resulted from her difficult marriage. Chopin’s careful and strong word choice helps to bring Mrs. Mallard’s thoughts and emotions to life. The metaphor of an open window that is mentioned in the story is important inn understanding the story. The window is not just a part of the setting, but also a “window” into the mind and heart of Mrs. Mallard. This window served the purpose of an entrance to the new life Mrs. Mallard would be living. Kate Chopin uses thoughtful word choice and metaphors to help readers better understand the characters with the story. “The Story of an Hour” took many years for people to recognize the story for its impressive literary talent. Throughout this story, Kate Chopin is able to connect the plot and character, in using irony, strong word choice, and metaphors that bring the characters within the story to life. Without a doubt, Kate Chopin’s upbringing helped to influence her writing and ultimately shaped her ideals as a person. Works Cited
