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'''''“The Story of an Hour”''''' is a short story by Kate Chopin that first appeared in ''Vogue'' in 1894.
'''''“The Story of an Hour”''''' is a short story by Kate Chopin written on April 19, 1894. It first appeared in ''Vogue'' on December 6, 1894 as “The Dream of an Hour.” This was one of the nineteen stories of Kate Chopin published in ''Vogue''.
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describe distinctive characteristics of the novel, major themes, awards,  
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==Plot==
==Plot==
~Brief summary of the plot~
Josephine, Louise Mallard's sister receives news of Brently Mallard's death at his job on the railroad and goes to tell her with assistance from Richard, Brently's friend. Josephine, knowing that her sister has a heart disease caused her to become nervous and talk in broken sentences which gave hints that revealed what happened. After finding out the news, she goes to her room and realizes that she is “free, free, free!”{{Sfn|Chopin|2002|p=200}} Then, her sister encourage her to come out of the room so that she would not become ill. When she got down stairs, her husband Brently stepped through the doors. Richard tried covering him to keep Louise from being shocked but it was to late, she died of a heart disease.
 
The plot of "The story of an hour" is about a woman who receives bad news only for her to realize it's not as bad as she thought. As she is informed that her husband has just died in a train accident, her initial response is too weep. She wept in her sister's arms with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance. Soon after when the grief wore off, she went to her room to isolate herself and truly think about the news she just heard when she felt a feeling of relief. She realized that this meant she was "free, free, free!". Only then, for her husband to step through the doors and her die of a heart disease.


==Characters==
==Characters==
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==Major themes==
==Major themes==
~thematic description, using the work of literary critics (i.e. scholars)~
<!--thematic description, using the work of literary critics (i.e. scholars)-->
A major theme throughout "The Story Of An Hour," is freedom. Once the hurt and grief of his loss pass over Louise, she realizes that she has the freedom to live her life the way she wants. You can see her moment of realization whenever she says, "free, free, free." She realizes that she is no longer held back by a marriage and has the freedom and independence to do as she pleases.


A major theme throughout "The Story Of An Hour," is freedom. Once the hurt and grief passes over Louise, she realizes that she has the freedom to live her life the way she wants.
Another major theme of the story is death as a release. Louise's reaction to her husband's death is disheartening. However, sadness and grief gracefully turn into happiness and satisfaction. The socially acceptable way to react to death is with grief and only grief {{sfn|Allen|2021}}. Louise doesn't pertain to this situation accordingly, the grief is no longer there.


==Development history==
==Development history==
~history of the novel's development, if available  
<!--history of the novel's development, if available (e.g., ''[[w:Things Fall Apart|Things Fall Apart]]'')-->
(e.g., ''[[w:Things Fall Apart|Things Fall Apart]]'')~


===Publication history===
===Publication history===
~*year, country, publisher ISBN 1234567890, Pub date DD Month Year, binding~
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===Explanation of the Story's Title===
===Explanation of the Story's Title===
Louise Mallard is told her husband was dead and with that she gained her freedom. Later Louise finds out he is alive and she dies. The character gains her freedom and dies within an hour. (e.g., ''[[w:Things Fall Apart|Things Fall Apart]]'')~
Louise Mallard is told her husband was dead and with that she gained her freedom. Later Louise finds out he is alive and she dies. The character gains her freedom and dies within an hour.{{Sfn|Chopin|2002|p=200}}


==Literary significance and reception==
==Literary significance and reception==
~description of the work's initial reception and legacy based on the work of literary critics and commentators over  
<!--description of the work's initial reception and legacy based on the work of literary critics and commentators over the years, give citations; if no literary significance should just be called reception-->
the years, give citations; if no literary significance should just be called reception~


==Awards and nominations==
==Awards and nominations==
~lists awards the work received, and significant nominations, if applicable; include in reception if brief~
<!--lists awards the work received, and significant nominations, if applicable; include in reception if brief-->


==Adaptations==
==Adaptations==
~references to major film, TV, theatrical, radio, etc. adaptations, if applicable~
<!--references to major film, TV, theatrical, radio, etc. adaptations, if applicable-->
 
==Citations==
{{reflist}}


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
See also: [[/Annotated Bibliography/]].
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* {{cite journal |last1=Bender |first1=Bert |title=The Teeth of Desire: ''The Awakening'' and The Descent of Man |journal=American Literature |date=1991 |volume=63 |issue=3 |pages=459–473 }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Bender |first1=Bert |title=The Teeth of Desire: ''The Awakening'' and The Descent of Man |journal=American Literature |date=1991 |volume=63 |issue=3 |pages=459–473 }}
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* {{cite journal |last1=Yazgı |first1=Cihan |title=Tragic Elements and Discourse-Time in 'The Story of an Hour' |journal=The Explicator |date=1 October 2020 |volume=78 |issue=3–4 |pages=147–152 }}
* {{cite journal |last1=Yazgı |first1=Cihan |title=Tragic Elements and Discourse-Time in 'The Story of an Hour' |journal=The Explicator |date=1 October 2020 |volume=78 |issue=3–4 |pages=147–152 }}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}
== Resources ==
{{cite web
|url=https://owlcation.com/humanities/Analysis-Story-Hour-Kate-Chopin-Themes-Summary-Symbolism
|title=Analysis, Themes and Summary of 'The Story of an Hour' by Kate Chopin
|last= Allen
|first=Howard
|date= April 2021
|website=owlcation.com
}}


==External links==
==External links==

Latest revision as of 07:09, 13 September 2021

“The Story of an Hour”
AuthorKate Chopin
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s)Short Story
Published inVogue
Publication typeMagazine
Publication date1894

“The Story of an Hour” is a short story by Kate Chopin written on April 19, 1894. It first appeared in Vogue on December 6, 1894 as “The Dream of an Hour.” This was one of the nineteen stories of Kate Chopin published in Vogue.

Plot

Josephine, Louise Mallard's sister receives news of Brently Mallard's death at his job on the railroad and goes to tell her with assistance from Richard, Brently's friend. Josephine, knowing that her sister has a heart disease caused her to become nervous and talk in broken sentences which gave hints that revealed what happened. After finding out the news, she goes to her room and realizes that she is “free, free, free!”[1] Then, her sister encourage her to come out of the room so that she would not become ill. When she got down stairs, her husband Brently stepped through the doors. Richard tried covering him to keep Louise from being shocked but it was to late, she died of a heart disease.

Characters

Louise Mallard: She is the wife of Brently Mallard who suffers from heart disease.

Brently Mallard: A railroad worker, he is the husband to Louise Mallard, who is believed dead at the start of the story.

Josephine: She is the sister of Louise Mallard and helps console her when she informs her about Brently’s death.

Richards: He is Brently’s friend who informs Josephine about the latter’s death.

Major themes

A major theme throughout "The Story Of An Hour," is freedom. Once the hurt and grief of his loss pass over Louise, she realizes that she has the freedom to live her life the way she wants. You can see her moment of realization whenever she says, "free, free, free." She realizes that she is no longer held back by a marriage and has the freedom and independence to do as she pleases.

Another major theme of the story is death as a release. Louise's reaction to her husband's death is disheartening. However, sadness and grief gracefully turn into happiness and satisfaction. The socially acceptable way to react to death is with grief and only grief [2]. Louise doesn't pertain to this situation accordingly, the grief is no longer there.

Development history

Publication history

Explanation of the Story's Title

Louise Mallard is told her husband was dead and with that she gained her freedom. Later Louise finds out he is alive and she dies. The character gains her freedom and dies within an hour.[1]

Literary significance and reception

Awards and nominations

Adaptations

Citations

  1. 1.0 1.1 Chopin 2002, p. 200.
  2. Allen 2021.

Bibliography

See also: Annotated Bibliography.

  • Bender, Bert (1991). "The Teeth of Desire: The Awakening and The Descent of Man". American Literature. 63 (3): 459–473.
  • Berkove, Lawrence I. (2000). "Fatal Self-Assertion in Kate Chopin's 'The Story of an Hour'". American Literary Realism. 32 (2): 152–158.
  • Chongyue, Li; Lihua, Wang (May 14, 2013). "A Caricature of an Ungrateful and Unfaithful Wife—A New Interpretation of 'The Story of an Hour'". English Language and Literature Studies. 3 (2): 90–92. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  • Chopin, Kate (2002). "The Story of an Hour". In Sipiora, Phillip (ed.). Reading and Writing about Literature. Upper Saddle Creek, NJ: Prentice Hall. pp. 199–200.
  • Cunningham, Mark (September 2004). "The Autonomous Female Self and the Death of Louise Mallard in Kate Chopin's 'Story of an Hour'". English Language Notes. 42 (1): 48–55.
  • Jamil, S. Selina (April 2009). "Emotions in 'The Story of an Hour'". The Explicator. 67 (3): 215–220.
  • Foote, J. (2013). "Speed That Kills: The Role of Technology in Kate Chopin's 'The Story of an Hour'". The Explicator. 71 (2): 85–89.
  • Toth, Emily (1999). Unveiling Kate Chopin. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  • Tseng, Chia-Chieh (Fall 2014). "'Joy That Kills': Female Jouissance in Kate Chopin's 'The Story of an Hour'". Short Story Journal. 22 (2): 29–38.
  • Yazgı, Cihan (1 October 2020). "Tragic Elements and Discourse-Time in 'The Story of an Hour'". The Explicator. 78 (3–4): 147–152.

Resources

Allen, Howard (April 2021). "Analysis, Themes and Summary of 'The Story of an Hour' by Kate Chopin". owlcation.com.

External links