Chopin accurately demonstrates the conspicuous gap that once stood between men and women, which is present in her story “Desiree’s Baby”. Chopin applied this to many marital relationships, highlighting her belief that men were oppressive and dictatorial in a marriage. Among the two main characters in her story, “Desiree’s Baby,” it is clear that Desiree, wife of Armand Aubigny, is seen as less of a human being and more of a property that he takes for granted. As evidence of the toxicity of their relationship, Desiree feels obligated to let her husband’s thoughts and feelings affect her own opinions and overall well being, instead of allowing herself to be an individual. For example, a paragraph in the story reads:
What Desiree said was true. …show more content…
It can be inferred that marriage was not a woman’s choice in the time that Chopin lived and that many women felt pressured by society to be married. (“Gender Roles…”) It is evident that in “Story of an Hour,” Mrs. Mallard was not content in her marriage, and felt that it held her back from many opportunities. Also, in “Desiree’s Baby,” the relationship between Desiree and her husband is clearly unhealthy and toxic, which supports why she would be better off without him. In Chopin’s life, the death of her husband inspired her career in writing because her doctor and a family friend suggested that she “pour her depressed and suffocated feelings in writing which could also become a source of income for her.” (“Kate Chopin”) This suggests that her career was introduced to her following her husband’s death, therefore bringing opportunities to her in the same way as it had for Mrs. Mallard. Overall, both stories influence a vast group of women who she probably shares a lot in common with. Chopin is considered revolutionary to many because, “[She] wrote with unflinching honesty about propriety and its strictures, the illusions of love and the realities of marriage, and the persistence of a past scarred by slavery and war.” (Gilbert) For this reason, she was greatly admired and has affected people’s outlook on
What Desiree said was true. …show more content…
It can be inferred that marriage was not a woman’s choice in the time that Chopin lived and that many women felt pressured by society to be married. (“Gender Roles…”) It is evident that in “Story of an Hour,” Mrs. Mallard was not content in her marriage, and felt that it held her back from many opportunities. Also, in “Desiree’s Baby,” the relationship between Desiree and her husband is clearly unhealthy and toxic, which supports why she would be better off without him. In Chopin’s life, the death of her husband inspired her career in writing because her doctor and a family friend suggested that she “pour her depressed and suffocated feelings in writing which could also become a source of income for her.” (“Kate Chopin”) This suggests that her career was introduced to her following her husband’s death, therefore bringing opportunities to her in the same way as it had for Mrs. Mallard. Overall, both stories influence a vast group of women who she probably shares a lot in common with. Chopin is considered revolutionary to many because, “[She] wrote with unflinching honesty about propriety and its strictures, the illusions of love and the realities of marriage, and the persistence of a past scarred by slavery and war.” (Gilbert) For this reason, she was greatly admired and has affected people’s outlook on