Repressed feelings in marriage can be expressed in many ways, and a common form is through the use of figurative language. Kate Chopin supports this statement in her short story, “The Story of An Hour.” In this story the main character is Louise, a weak-willed woman with heart trouble, and it is about how she struggles with her newfound and some awakened feelings when she receives news of her husband’s death. Kate Chopin illustrates the surfacing of Louise’s repressed feelings using metaphors, symbolism, and personification.
Kate Chopin uses metaphors to help the reader understand the progression of Louise's repressed feelings. Initially, when Louise's sister breaks to her the news of her husband’s death, her feelings of sadness overcome …show more content…
In this phrase, “spring” represents joy, excitement, positive feelings, and new life. Chopin uses this symbol to show that after her husband’s death, Louise can start over, she can have a new, exciting life. Not only does that quote show that she believes that there’s a new, joy-filled life awaiting her; it can also be taken the other way, that she was not enjoying her marriage. Her feelings were repressed, and now she is free. She has the hope of chasing many new possibilities for her life. Outside her window there [are] “... patches of blue sky here and there...” (Line 20), and each patch of blue sky represents a possibility, and hope for a brighter future. She has renewed options for her life now, she could do so much more. She was no longer being held back. Her husband’s death closed one door, but unlocked many doors in her life. Now that Louise has this new life, she has the freedom to do chase whatever dream she desired, unlike her conditions previous to this her husband’s …show more content…
After the immediate shock from the news of her husband’s death, Louise recieves a new feeling, and Louise describes it as “... too subtle and elusive to name… ” (Line 30). She gives this new feeling which is later to be revealed as freedom, manlike qualities, and she describes it as creeping out of the sky, reaching towards her. She calls it subtle and elusive because she doesn’t know what it is. Freedom is unrecognizable to her, and that means that she hasn’t had it before. Louise does not know what it is like to be liberated, to have choices. This feeling had been repressed from her, and to further stress this point, in the next few lines, she even tries to fight it but eventually gives in and the first word she says, is “free.” (Line 36). Her husband took her freedom away from her, and she got it back when he died, as described in the use of personification in this
Kate Chopin uses metaphors to help the reader understand the progression of Louise's repressed feelings. Initially, when Louise's sister breaks to her the news of her husband’s death, her feelings of sadness overcome …show more content…
In this phrase, “spring” represents joy, excitement, positive feelings, and new life. Chopin uses this symbol to show that after her husband’s death, Louise can start over, she can have a new, exciting life. Not only does that quote show that she believes that there’s a new, joy-filled life awaiting her; it can also be taken the other way, that she was not enjoying her marriage. Her feelings were repressed, and now she is free. She has the hope of chasing many new possibilities for her life. Outside her window there [are] “... patches of blue sky here and there...” (Line 20), and each patch of blue sky represents a possibility, and hope for a brighter future. She has renewed options for her life now, she could do so much more. She was no longer being held back. Her husband’s death closed one door, but unlocked many doors in her life. Now that Louise has this new life, she has the freedom to do chase whatever dream she desired, unlike her conditions previous to this her husband’s …show more content…
After the immediate shock from the news of her husband’s death, Louise recieves a new feeling, and Louise describes it as “... too subtle and elusive to name… ” (Line 30). She gives this new feeling which is later to be revealed as freedom, manlike qualities, and she describes it as creeping out of the sky, reaching towards her. She calls it subtle and elusive because she doesn’t know what it is. Freedom is unrecognizable to her, and that means that she hasn’t had it before. Louise does not know what it is like to be liberated, to have choices. This feeling had been repressed from her, and to further stress this point, in the next few lines, she even tries to fight it but eventually gives in and the first word she says, is “free.” (Line 36). Her husband took her freedom away from her, and she got it back when he died, as described in the use of personification in this