Oppression In The Story Of An Hour

Everyone experiences some type of oppression during his or her lifetime. Per Mar 'i, oppression is the “‘institutionalized collective and individual modes of behavior through which one group attempts to dominate and control another in order to secure political, economic, and/or social-psychological advantage’” (Prilleltensky and Gonick 129). In laymen 's terms, it means that it is a series of unbalanced relationships between genders, classes, communities, individuals, states, and nations (Prilleltensky and Gonick 130). Oppression may not be as obvious today as it was during the 19th and 20th century. During this time frame, many short stories have an issue of oppression in them. “The Story of an Hour” is a short story that was written by …show more content…
However, this oppression is usually very small and almost unnoticeable. In “The Story of an Hour” and “A Rose for Emily,” oppression is a reoccurring issue that keeps the main characters from experiencing their lives. Mrs. Mallard and Emily are women that are oppressed by the men in their lives as well as the society that they live in. This oppression they experience keeps them from living their lives to the fullest and from living a normal life as well. The oppression that they experienced in their everyday lives kept them from having normal relationships and having the freedom they deserved to have. Some people believe psychological oppression is the ground for political oppression. This may be relatable to “The Story of an Hour” and “A Rose for Emily” for men have usually determined the laws and standards appropriate in society because they are much more likely to hold a position in a public office or the government. The easiest way to avoid oppression is to educate people on the subject matter. This could mean educating the oppressor and how oppression affects everyone. This could also mean educating the victims of oppression and allow them to see what he or she may be missing from his or her everyday lives (Prilleltensky and Gonick 140). Since oppression is a common issue, education is the only solution to overcoming it. Many people believe in Karma which says what goes around comes around. Once people see and understand how oppression affects others, they will be more aware of it and try to make undo it so they are not treated the same way. If society, Emily’s father and Mrs. Mallard’s husband knew how they were affecting the women in these stories, the layout and ideas behind each short story would be very different because then oppression may not be present or be as