Women and Marriage in the 1800s The stories of Kate Chopin such as Desiree’s Baby, The Storm, and The Story of an Hour reflects the lives of married women in the 1800s. In the 1800s, society basically expected women to get married, have children, and run the household. This expectation, however, was unfair because women were capable of and offered so much more. All three stories are about women with completely different situations and completely different ironic endings. However, all three stories have common relations to each other. Desiree’s Baby, The Storm, and The Story of an Hour all reflect how each woman felt unsatisfied in her current situation and defied the social standards which women were expected to follow during this time.
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Desiree even says, “he hasn 't punished one of them - not one of them - since baby is born. Even Negrillon, who pretended to have burnt his leg that he might rest from work - he only laughed, and said ‘Negrillon was a great scamp’” (Chopin 244). This change in Armand makes Desiree overjoyed because she loves him very much and when he is happy, she is happy. In the story, it is said that “Marriage, and later the birth of his son had softened Armand Aubigny 's imperious and exacting nature greatly” (Chopin 244). This quote displays who Armand is as a person which is a domineering and arrogant man, but he changes from his ways since he fell in love, got married, and became a father. However, everything changes in a matter of three months. Desiree knows that something is amiss: “Desiree awoke one day to the conviction that there was something in the air menacing her peace. It was at first too subtle to grasp.” (Chopin 244). She later finds that something is wrong with her husband. The story explains “Then a strange, an awful change in her husband 's manner, which she dared not ask him to explain” (Chopin 244). Desiree does not ask for an explanation …show more content…
She reacts like anyone would in that situation which is heartbroken, miserable, and sad. The story describes, “She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister 's arms” (Chopin 756). Louise goes on to her room where begins to realize that she is free from the confines of marriage. The story even says, “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself” (Chopin 757). That is when she experiences joy because she will finally be on her own. She relishes in this joy by saying, “Free! Body and soul free!" (Chopin 757). However, this new found joy does not last long. Instead, her husband comes home when she leaves from her room. Lastly, Louise ends up dying from heart disease. This is an ironic ending because the story described it as “heart disease--of the joy that kills” (Chopin
In …show more content…
Desiree even says, “he hasn 't punished one of them - not one of them - since baby is born. Even Negrillon, who pretended to have burnt his leg that he might rest from work - he only laughed, and said ‘Negrillon was a great scamp’” (Chopin 244). This change in Armand makes Desiree overjoyed because she loves him very much and when he is happy, she is happy. In the story, it is said that “Marriage, and later the birth of his son had softened Armand Aubigny 's imperious and exacting nature greatly” (Chopin 244). This quote displays who Armand is as a person which is a domineering and arrogant man, but he changes from his ways since he fell in love, got married, and became a father. However, everything changes in a matter of three months. Desiree knows that something is amiss: “Desiree awoke one day to the conviction that there was something in the air menacing her peace. It was at first too subtle to grasp.” (Chopin 244). She later finds that something is wrong with her husband. The story explains “Then a strange, an awful change in her husband 's manner, which she dared not ask him to explain” (Chopin 244). Desiree does not ask for an explanation …show more content…
She reacts like anyone would in that situation which is heartbroken, miserable, and sad. The story describes, “She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister 's arms” (Chopin 756). Louise goes on to her room where begins to realize that she is free from the confines of marriage. The story even says, “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself” (Chopin 757). That is when she experiences joy because she will finally be on her own. She relishes in this joy by saying, “Free! Body and soul free!" (Chopin 757). However, this new found joy does not last long. Instead, her husband comes home when she leaves from her room. Lastly, Louise ends up dying from heart disease. This is an ironic ending because the story described it as “heart disease--of the joy that kills” (Chopin