The Story of an Hour By: Kate Chopin

About the Author Born February 8 th 1850 in St. Louis After her father died when she was a child, Chopin developed a love for reading Read fairy tales, poetry, allegories Favorite authors include Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens Moved to New Orleans after marrying Oscar Chopin in 1870

More About the Author Oscar died and left Kate with lots of debt in New Orleans because of his failed business investments Kate and the children moved to St. Louis at the request of Kate’s mother Shortly after moving to St. Louis, Kate’s mother died A doctor suggested that writing would be therapeutic, so Kate began writing

Kate’s Work Kate began writing short stories and periodicals for the St. Louis Dispatch She wrote her most famous novel, The Awakening, in 1899 The Awakening was not an instant success because of Chopin’s literary style and moral standards After receiving criticism, Kate turned to short stories and wrote famous works such as The Gentleman from New Orleans and The Story of an Hour

The Legacy of Kate Chopin Kate Chopin died in 1904 of a brain hemorrhage Some call Kate Chopin a writer who was ahead of her time Her works concerning feminism and the emergence of women were not received well by everyone Today, the work of Kate Chopin is widely accepted and studied

What else was happening… During the time when Kate was writing, the Civil War in the United States had ended and the Reconstruction period took place The call for equal black rights continued from the pre-Civil War days Feminism began to get more serious as strong feminist leaders called for women’s equality if blacks were going to get it as well

A Closer Look at The Story of an Hour Breaking down the story:  Exposition- News of Mr. Mallard's death arrives  Inciting Incident- Mrs. Mallard is told about her husband's death  Rising Action- Mrs. Mallard goes to her room to think about the impact of her husband’s death, what it really means  Climax- Mrs. Mallard realizes she is free; these feelings contrast the expected feelings of sorrow and sadness  Falling Action- Mrs. Mallard thinks about her new found freedom and realizes that she had not always loved her husband  Resolution- Mrs. Mallard sees Mr. Mallard as he walks through the door, unharmed and very much alive  Denouement- Mrs. Mallard's dies from heart disease, “of joy that kills”

An even closer look at The Story of an Hour The portrayal of women:  Mrs. Mallard was a typical woman of the time period. Her marriage made her much less independent and took away her passion for things  Her husband’s death awakens her to an extent. Mrs. Mallard realizes that she is now “free” and although she knows her husband loved her, she admits to not always loving him

An even closer look at The Story of an Hour The Metaphor:  The window in which Mrs. Mallard looks through when she goes into her room to think represents the opportunities and freedom she comes to expect  The more she thinks about her husband’s death, the more she realizes that the death is a catalyst for change in her life  She begins to expect a new life like the one she used to have

In Summary… The Story of an Hour was written in 1894 The short story is a naturalist piece of literature Main theme: the unexpected realization of a woman’s freedom that comes from the death of her husband Highlights the weak and feeble portrayal of women as well as the impact of nature

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