1. Kate Chopin's feminist theme is prominent in "The Story of an Hour." Chopin's 1894 short story echoes many of the points feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton made in her "Declaration of Sentiments," delivered at the nation's first feminist convention in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. In "The Story of an Hour," the narrator observes after the reported death of Brently Mallard that in Louise's life on her own, "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." Only by release from her marriage by the death of her husband is Louise allowed (in conventional society at the time) to entertain thoughts of personal liberation and give voice to her fondest wish: "free, free, free!" This story is perhaps the ultimate illustration of Chopin's style; it is condensed into just over 1000 words.
2. Emily Toth's assertion that Louise Mallard had to die in order for the story to be published seems somewhat inaccurate. In the story's final scene, Louise and her sister descend the stairs, only to be blocked at the landing by the appearance of Brently Mallard. Struck by his surprise appearance, Louise drops dead. Here Chopin expresses her belief that, in 1894, men were still figuratively, if not literally, standing in the way of women's liberation. Although Chopin's work was condemned by some, historians report that Chopin's work was generally well-received and was published in prestigious magazines such as Vogue and Harper's and Century. Her story collections were favorably reviewed by The New York Times. When The Awakening was published in 1899, it was widely panned. However, by that time Chopin's literary reputation was, relatively speaking, substantial.
3. The obvious similarity in the endings of the story and novella is that both Louise and Edna die. The difference is the circumstances. A defensible reading of Louise's death is that she experiences an overwhelmingly shocking setback when she witnesses her husband's return and instantly realizes that the freedom she has reveled in is now gone. Edna Pontellier's death is different because the circumstances of her death are far more ambiguous. When she strips off her clothes and swims into the sea, it is the act of a woman freeing herself, literally and figuratively, from a society that does not accept her free thinking and sexual liberation. Whether Edna's death is inadvertent (because she is literally and figuratively "in over her head"), or a calculated rejection of the diminished life she would have to lead (thus a suicide), is left up to the reader.
Though it seems that neither ending is happy, it is arguable that The Awakening is perhaps more positive because Edna dies in the midst of her self-expression, not because she has been dealt a crushing psychological blow, as Louise has.
No comments:
Post a Comment