Despite of being a woman living in the 19th century, Kate Chopin’s works often depict the images of young, beautiful, sensitive, and intelligent women who seek freedom and professional independence. The Story of an Hour, The Storm and Desiree’s Baby are three of her many short stories that portray women who live miserably in their marriage. This journal will be focusing in discussing the themes found in these three stories. The main theme in The Story of an Hour is the forbidden joy of freedom. For Mrs. Mallard, freedom is a pleasure that can only be imagined privately in which it seems that it would take her whole life for it to become real. Upon hearing the news of her husband’s death, Mrs. Mallard is in a sudden grief and weeps at once. However, after she has calmed down and is alone in her room, she realizes she is now an independent woman. She sees all the spring days and summer days without her husband, and this excites her. When she acknowledges the joy, she feels possessed by it and must control herself from letting the word “free” escape from her lips. Her reaction does not suggest any ill intention or malice towards her husband’s death, but it rather shows that she is “a goddess of Victory,” who outlived her husband. Despite of the love between husband and wife, Mrs. Mallard feels “Free! Body and soul free!” as she accepts Brently’s death. Overwhelmed by the joy, Mrs. Mallard even “breaths a quick prayer” for a long life in which to enjoy this feeling. However, Brently’s return has taken the freedom away from her—putting it out of her reach. The forbidden joy vanishes as quick as it came, but the taste of it is enough to kill her. “Birthright” is the main theme of The Storm for it portrays not only the feelings of the main characters but also the freshness of their marriage. To Calixta, having an adultery with Alcee brings her the feelings that she has never experienced with her husband; it is with Alcee in which she acknowledges that “her firm, elastic flesh that was knowing for the first time its birthright.” The same goes for Alcee in which having sex with Calixta makes him realizes that “his own sensuous nature that had never yet been reached.” Neither their spouses know about their infidelity, nor does this adultery
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Armand Aubigny, just like any other men in the mid-nineteen century in South America, judges the worth of a person primarily on his or her race and gender. He gets married with Desiree not long after they met despite of knowing about “her obscure origin.” He is confident that she is one of his kind just by “looked into her eyes and did not care.” Not only does he harshly rule the slave “his negroes had forgotten how to be gay,” but he also rules the home “when he frowned she trembled, but loved him. When he smiled, she asked no greater blessing of God.” Although his demeanor softens after the baby is born, he reveals his true nature when he discovers the child has Negro blood—“the child is not white; it means that you are not white.” Armand judges his wife by her appearances and “he no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and his
Armand Aubigny, just like any other men in the mid-nineteen century in South America, judges the worth of a person primarily on his or her race and gender. He gets married with Desiree not long after they met despite of knowing about “her obscure origin.” He is confident that she is one of his kind just by “looked into her eyes and did not care.” Not only does he harshly rule the slave “his negroes had forgotten how to be gay,” but he also rules the home “when he frowned she trembled, but loved him. When he smiled, she asked no greater blessing of God.” Although his demeanor softens after the baby is born, he reveals his true nature when he discovers the child has Negro blood—“the child is not white; it means that you are not white.” Armand judges his wife by her appearances and “he no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and his