The Story of an Hour

Running Head: THE STORY OF AN HOUR
THE STORY OF AN HOUR
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1THE STORY OF AN HOUR
In ‘The Story of an Hour’ by Kate Chopin, Louise mallard, serves the protagonist’s
role with her complex, private and horribly unflinching desire for liberation and
independence which was previously shadowed but takes the forefront with an apparently
obvious display, following her being a recipient to the news of her husband’s death because
he was involved in a Railroad accident. This piece was first published in the renowned
women’s fashion magazine ‘Vogue’ on the 6th of December, 1984, with the previous title,
‘The Dream of an Hour’.
This short story serves as a example, because it is a salient piece that inspired the
women’s liberation movement fueled by the need for equality of all Genders. Needless to say,
such a revolutionary writing was the cause of countless controversies in America, because of
the highly carefree nature of the writing. It exuded the woman’s need to break free from the
shackles of patriarchy and meaningless societal norms.
On closer inspection it is evident that Louise mallard’s reaction to her husband’s
death was rather odd in nature. It is also evident that it was unexpected given her devotion
and love for the said man. One might even charge her with exhibition of heartlessness which
leads people to naturally classify her reaction as an anomaly, but if explored in another light,
the story gives Louise’s sadness a rather dark, and optimistic outlook. She like every other
woman required freedom, from the clutches of the ‘man of the house’ and the various societal
norms that made the ‘woman’ the submissive ‘other’ which was borderline dehumanization.
The society built rules that upheld the need for men to dominate and mark their territories
which completely ignored the fact that women were human as well, capable of achieving the
same status.
The progression of the story is rather quick in nature, because she is firstly introduced
as a certain someone who is burdened with the spoils of her illness that has overtaken her