Story Of An Hour And I Stand Here Ironing Analysis

The need to feel accepted in the world drives human beings to conform to what seems acceptable ultimately jeopardizing their true self. Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour”, and Tillie Olsen’s “I Stand Here Ironing”, both depict women conforming to society’s ideals. Both women fall into the trap of following what people believe is the norm. Chopin’s “Story of an Hour” is about a young woman who feels incarcerated in her marriage and when hearing news of her husbands “death” she feels joyful. In Olsen’s “I Stand Here Ironing” the mother feels partially responsible of how her daughter’s life turned out due to the lacking of attention she needed. Due to both women falling into their roles as wife and mother at an early age they listen and follow what others have to say. Chopin’s and Olsen’s protagonist are effected by society’s oppression, conformity and lack of freedom.
Chopin’s, “Story of an Hour” focuses on the idea of Mrs. Mallard being coerced by society into the tradition of marriage. Typically women were taught at a young age to look forward to getting married and building a family with her husband. Women were basically bred to live and breathe for the men in their lives and attain to their everyday needs; basically the men would control their wives like puppets. An example of this would be in the beginning of the short story where Mrs. Mallard is …show more content…
Mallard in “Story of an Hour” gives into the idea of getting married since it is the right thing to do. Due to conforming and accepting the idea she lives a miserable life along her husband not necessarily because he does not love her but because she feels confined. Like many women in the nineteenth century they lived a life entirely at home; attained to the duties of a housewife. “She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength” (Chopin174). The wrinkles on her young face indicated that she has been withholding her opinions and thoughts to