The Story of an Hour

By: Kate Chopin

About the Author

Born February 8th 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

Works Cited

http://americanfiction.suite101.com http://www.pbs.org/katechopin/

chronology.html www.articlemyriad.com/story_hour.htm http://www.katechopin.org/ http://www.mydreamwedding.ca http://www.solarcontrolfilms.biz http://www.albalearning.com