Marital Relationships In The Story Of An Hour

The marital relationship has changed drastically since the late 1800’s. In today’s society, it would be a scandalous outrage if men and women were not treated as equals in a marriage. In Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” the time period was an era in which society held to the notion that men were the dominant figure in a marriage. Women were to obey the husband and support his aspirations for career and success. Her place was in the home caring for children, laundry, and preparing meals. Throughout the story set in a time when women were secondary to men, it is clear to the reader through the reactions of Louise and Josephine, that the Mallard’s marriage is broken. The style of the story allows readers to debate several assumptions and arrive at their own conclusions. Chopin leaves many questions unanswered throughout the story. An example of this was the question left in the reader’s mind as to the true marital relationship between Brently and Louise. The choice of diction and imagery …show more content…
Josephine is much like Brently Mallard in that she wants to take care of her sister and shield her from harm. Louise retreats to her room to be alone so she can sort through her feelings and emotions. Josephine tries to get as close to her sister as she can by “kneeling before the closed door with her lips to the keyhole”. Josephine begs her to open the door, afraid she will make herself sick. When Louise finally opens the door, the reader is left to wonder if there was any dialog between Josephine and Louise or what Josephine may have thought about Louise’s newfound happiness. The next scene describes Josephine’s “piercing cry” as Brently Mallard enters “the front door with a latchkey”. The style leaves you to wonder if Josephine’s cry was from the shock of seeing Brently come in the door or from the despair of her sister’s sudden