In “The Story of An Hour” by Kate Chopin, the main character and protagonist Mrs. Mallard experiences a spiral of emotions, from shock to freedom from her role as a wife; after learning of her husband’s sudden death. This story takes place in the era when women were known as just a wife and mother. In addition, the narrator starts with assuring the reader of Mrs. Mallard’s heart condition; which makes her appear weak from the start. This story expresses on what people know about freedom and humanity through symbolic meanings that are found in myths and religious cultures. The narrator takes an archetypal feminist approach when analyzing Mrs. Mallard’s steps in discovering a free life for herself, without the burdens her husband brought her.
Kate Chopin uses a metaphorical archetype to describe Mrs. Mallard’s reaction when first hearing about her husband’s death stating, “When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone” (Chopin; para. 3) Chopin refers to grief as a storm because like a storm, grief goes through intense cycles that eventually come to an exhausting end. In addition, storms represent a spiritual cleansing that happens when life gets interrupted. For example, in the King James Bible, God flooded the …show more content…
The use of symbolism and metaphors opens the reader’s eyes to understand the beauty when discovering oneself. Once Mrs. Mallard learned her husband was still alive she died from heart failure because she couldn’t bear the thought of going back to not being able to live for herself. No matter what century a person is from, they will mourn the loss of loved ones; however, after someone discovers freedom only to have it ripped away from them is another tragedy. The imagery Chopin captured when using archetypes was full of emotions and understood though out the
Kate Chopin uses a metaphorical archetype to describe Mrs. Mallard’s reaction when first hearing about her husband’s death stating, “When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone” (Chopin; para. 3) Chopin refers to grief as a storm because like a storm, grief goes through intense cycles that eventually come to an exhausting end. In addition, storms represent a spiritual cleansing that happens when life gets interrupted. For example, in the King James Bible, God flooded the …show more content…
The use of symbolism and metaphors opens the reader’s eyes to understand the beauty when discovering oneself. Once Mrs. Mallard learned her husband was still alive she died from heart failure because she couldn’t bear the thought of going back to not being able to live for herself. No matter what century a person is from, they will mourn the loss of loved ones; however, after someone discovers freedom only to have it ripped away from them is another tragedy. The imagery Chopin captured when using archetypes was full of emotions and understood though out the