About The Story Of An Hour Book
In 1894, Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” was published in Vogue, the fashion magazine. It tells the story of Louise Mallard, a woman with a heart ailment, as she deals with the news that her husband Brently may have died in a train accident.
However, despite her initial sadness, Louise quickly sees that Brently’s death represents a new beginning for her, and she is inspired with optimism for the future. However, in a twist of irony, it is discovered that Brently is still alive, and Louise dies of shock upon seeing him.
This year, women’s rights were becoming more popular, but societal norms still held that the ideal woman was the mother and wife. Traditional marriage, according to Chopin, serves as a kind of oppression that stops women from realizing their full potential.
Instead, Brently’s death is seen as Louise’s liberation time. Initially, “The Story of an Hour” was rejected by various publications, including the Century and Vogue, because of its provocative viewpoint.
Vogue decided to publish Chopin’s tale only after achieving fame as a writer in other fields. It subsequently became one of Chopin’s most popular compositions despite its original controversy.
Book Summary
Because of her cardiac condition, Louise Mallard must be fully apprised of the circumstances surrounding her husband’s death. Josephine, her older sister, breaks the news to her. When Richards, Louise’s husband’s buddy, was at the newspaper office, he learned about a train accident and saw Louise’s husband, Brently, listed among the victims.
When Josephine informs Louise of Brently’s death, Louise bursts into tears and goes upstairs to her room to be alone. Louise leans back in her chair and gazes out the window. A salesman shouts what he’s selling to her while she looks at the trees and senses the rain coming.
When she looks out the window, she sees fluffy white clouds and hears the song of sparrows. There are some wrinkles around her eyes, but she is still youthful. She continues to weep as she looks out into the horizon.
As her anxiety mounts, she tries hard to keep it under control, but it won’t let her. She says the word “Free!” aloud to herself. As a result of her rapid heartbeat, she is very warm to the touch.
When Louise comes face to face with Brently’s body, she knows she’ll weep once again. In addition to his kind gestures, he constantly had a loving gaze on her. Her arms are stretched wide with excitement as she imagines the future years that are hers alone.
She will be able to live her life without fear of being enslaved by anybody. She believes all women and men mistreat one other, even out of love. Louise is aware that she had feelings of affection for Brently in the past, but she assures herself that it doesn’t really matter now.
She is overjoyed with her newfound freedom. There is a desperate plea from Josephine for Louise to come out, telling her that she will be struck down with an illness. Louise instructs her to go. She wishes for long life and daydreams about how many days and years she has left.
After unlocking the door, she and Josephine begin their ascent down the stairs, wherever Richards is waiting. The front door abruptly swings open, and Brently rushes in suddenly. He wasn’t involved in the train disaster or even aware of it.
Louise is unable to see Josephine, who cries, and Richards attempts to stop her from seeing him. A team of medical professionals arrives and determines that Louise died from a heart attack caused by her joy.
The Story Of An Hour Quotes
In “The Story of An Hour,” readers are taken on a journey that deviates from Mrs. Mallard’s first response to the devastating news she receives in the novel. Here are some quotations from “The Story of An Hour.”
- “Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own. She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long.”
- “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease – of the joy that kills.”
- “There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself.”
Essay Structure On The Story Of An Hour
The ability to write an essay with ease comes easily to certain people. Writing an excellent essay is a skill that, for some students, takes much study and practice in order to master. The following is a guide to writing an essay.
Introduction
After you’ve crafted your thesis statement and the bulk of your paper, you’ll need to craft an introductory paragraph. If you want the reader to concentrate on your essay, you need a strong opening to do so.
Start with an eye-catching first sentence. You may include surprising details, dialogue, a tale, a quotation, or a basic overview of your subject. Make sure that whichever approach you select links in with your thesis statement, which will be presented in the final phase of your introduction.
Body
Your essay’s main argument, explanation, or description is found here. Each of the primary points you outlined in your graphic or outline will be incorporated into a distinct paragraph in your essay’s body.
The structure of each body paragraph will be the same. As a starting point, write one of your most important points.
In the next paragraphs, write each one of your supporting ideas in sentence structure, but allow three or four lines between each point so that you may return and offer specific instances to back up your argument. Make connections between smaller concepts by filling in these blanks with related information.
Conclusion
To wrap up and provide the reader a final take on the subject, use the conclusion to summarize everything you’ve said so far and sum it all up. Three to five well-crafted phrases should round out your conclusion. Just go through your important arguments one more time and emphasize your thesis.
The literary study of The Story of an Hour may lead us to a number of key conclusions. It was impossible for Mrs. Mallard to remain calm in the face of critical situations. A lack of freedom and independence may have triggered her cardiac troubles. And in the end, they cost her their life.
When Mr. Mallard married Louise, he took away her independence. However, it was clear from the tale that he had little regard for her. When she died, he realized he had taken her for granted all his life.
Tips To Consider While Writing An Essay About The Story Of An Hour
In order to evaluate your critical thinking and writing skills, an essay is the best way to do it. This guide will help you with some of the most important aspects of the short story of an hour.
Read The Book Thoroughly
While the primary focus is on writing, reading is just as crucial. Conduct an extensive literature search before to beginning your essay. The ability to sort through copious amounts of information is an essential academic skill that students should acquire.
Find A Compelling Topic
You should think about the story of an hour essay topics and how your life event ties to it before you begin writing. Story ideas may arise from the tiniest of facts, ideas, or goals, no matter how little.
Create The Outline
The first step in writing a good essay is organizing your ideas. To better understand your thoughts, it is helpful to write them down and connect them. For your paper, this framework acts as a basis.
This is a good place for you to put your main points if you’d rather compose an outline. After that, proceed to write down your essential points, using a space for each one.
Each primary concept should have a sub-idea listed in this section. A more well-structured essay is the result of making links between ideas.
Write The Thesis Statement
Now that you’ve selected a subject and organized your thoughts, it’s time to draft your thesis statement. Your thesis statement aims to tell the reader what your essay is about.
The two sections of your thesis statement are as follows. Firstly, it explains what the essay is about, and then it explains its purpose.
Include A Lesson Or Moral
Truth does not release Mrs. Mallard, as the story’s moral shows; she is free in her illusion that her husband has died and dies when confronting the real truth about their relationship.
Conclusion: Proofread Your Work
There is a chance that you believe you’ve finished your essay. Wrong. Pay close attention to every little detail before declaring it complete.
Finally, go back and edit your work. Whether you’re not sure if your paper makes sense, reread it. Connecting thoughts and ideas is easier if the sentences flow smoothly. Grammar and spelling errors should be fixed in your essay.
FAQs
i. What is the meaning behind the story of an hour?
The Story of an Hour lacks a theme and does not objectively examine the benefits and drawbacks of marriage. In this story, a woman’s reaction to the news of her husband’s death is used to build a case against marriage.
ii. Is The Story of an Hour based on a true story?
It’s possible, Mallard, that if you were close to her or related to her somehow, you might get insight into how she thinks and behaves and use that information to support your claim. However, this is a piece of fiction.
iii. What is the story genre of The Story of an Hour?
“Modern feminist literature” is a genre of The Story of An Hour. Many people believe that Chopin’s story, which was published in 1894, was the catalyst for the modernist movement.
iv. Is The Story of an Hour a sad story?
With just an hour’s worth of content, “The Story of an Hour” captures the ambiguous emotions that come with grief and pleasure in the life of a lady who believes she has lost her husband, only to learn that he isn’t actually dead, and as a consequence, dies as a result of the experience.
