Introduction
Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" explores the thoughts and reactions of a woman after receiving the news that her husband had died in an accident. The story is perhaps Chopin's most popular work. The story is set in the Mallard residence, the home of Louise and Brently Mallard. Louise Mallard has heart trouble, a condition that makes the breaking of the news to her a delicate affair. At the core of "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin is the revelation of the forbidden joy of independence and the inherent oppressiveness of marriage.
Discussion
In Kate Chopin's short story, independence is presented as a pleasure that is forbidden. As a result, it can only be privately imagined rather than been flaunted loudly and publicly. When Louise learns about the death of her husband Brently, her reaction is one of grief, an appropriate reaction considering that her partner has just died. However, while alone in the secrecy of her bedroom, she realizes that the death signifies a new life of independence for her and this revelation excites her. At first, she tries to subdue the joy of these feelings. The resistance that she employs to beat back these memories reveal how forbidden this pleasure is. However, at last, she is overwhelmed by the pleasure, and the words "free" escape her mouth (Holt 1).
The reader is forced to imagine that her life offers no space for this kind of independence, and the rest of society can never understand or accept it. Perhaps, Louise hides this pleasure of independence because it can only be attained by extreme circumstances, including the death of a partner as is with her case. In her newfound freedom, she recognizes her life as being hers, and independence being at the core of her being. By returning, Brently takes away the independence that Louise is starting to enjoy. The forbidden joy is so overwhelming and intoxicating that its loss kills her.
However, connected to this concept of independence is the fact that however good a marriage is, it is oppressive, according to Chopin. The author suggests that all marriages are inherently oppressive. For example, Louise admits that her husband is loving and kind. As a result, she weeps at once with "sudden, wild abandonment" in the arms of her sister (Holt 1). Besides, she does not name a single specific manner in which her husband oppresses her, therefore, hinting that marriages, in general, stifle both men and women.
However, it is while she is alone in the bedroom that the setting and several symbols signal that she has found freedom from the death of her husband. Inside the bedroom, she is described to stand facing the open window before sinking to a comfortable, roomy armchair. Normally, one would not associate the grief that accompanies death with such a comfortable setting, just like one would not associate death with the kind of freedom that the protagonist feels. In other words, the comfort in the room is quite a contrast with the devastating atmosphere just outside of it.
The window presents a powerful symbol in regards to the issue of marriage and freedom. A window symbolizes an avenue or an escape to another environment. In this story, Chopin uses the window as an escape route to freedom outside. Hence, it is crucial that when Louise enters her bedroom, the window is described as "open" (Holt 1). The open window holds a promise of something that she has been yearning for- freedom. Through the window, the protagonist is said to see the open square in front of the house that has tops of trees that are all alive with new spring life. The air outside is also said to be "delicious" due to rain (Holt 1). Chopin also described that in the streets below, there is singing beside a clear blue sky and the twittering of sparrows. Life outside the house is described as vibrant, ranging from the people to the trees and the birds.
The contrast of the life outside with the dull life inside the house is what highlights the inherently oppressive nature of marriage. Even though freedom would come at a cost, she is willing to pay the price. Despite the love between a wife and husband, she views the death of Brently as a release from bondage. Her reaction, therefore, reveal the inherent oppressiveness of all marriages as they rob one of their independence.
Conclusion
Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" is an examination of the inherent oppressiveness of marriage and the forbidden joy of independence. As revealed, these two themes are intertwined because it is the way that this freedom is attained in the story that makes it forbidden if not a crime. However, freedom is presented by Chopin as necessary, meaning that no price is too high to pay to attain it, including the death of a loved one. Hence, by their nature, all marriages are oppressive and rob people of their independence.
