Story Of An Hour Analysis Essay

Analysis of “The Story of an Hour” Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” is about Louise Mallard’s emotional journey after finding out that her husband, Brentley Mallard, has died in a train accident. Chopin, throughout the text, lets her audience know that Louise feels caged by her marriage to Brently. Societal standards for marriage were much different when Chopin wrote “The Story of an Hour” than they are now. Within “The Story of an Hour” Chopin uses the characterization of Louise, the small setting, and the symbolism of the window and what Louise sees outside to convey to the audience that marriage is an institution that oppresses women. Firstly, Louise is presented as a character that isn’t seen as separate from her husband. In the …show more content…
After hearing the news about her husband, Louise locks herself in a private room with an open window. Looking out the window Louise sees, hears, and smells new things outside of the house. The window symbolizes freedom from the house and the marriage the oppresses her. Louise sees “trees that were all aquiver” and hears “a peddler crying his wares”. These are both things that Louise is not able to experience within the house she is confined to. The window is clearly representing the gateway between freedom and oppression. Louis’s role in life is to be a wife to her husband and because of this she must remain in the house. Also, Chopin writes that what Louise sees outside can be described as a “new spring life”. This represents Louise’s feelings of joy caused by the news of her husband’s death. Louise feels that now that her marriage is over she will be able to express herself and live the way she would like. This is the “new spring life” Louise is excited to live, one without oppression caused by the societal convention of marriage. The inclusion of the window and what Louise views looking through it further exemplify Chopin’s