I read "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Choplin.
Here is a link: http://shortstoryclassics.50megs.com/chopinstory.htm
I loved the development of Mrs. Mallard's character during her hour of reflection over her husbands death. The positivity she took from his death was refreshing to read about, since usually death is a terribly sad topic. I loved the role of the window and the nature outside the window had during her digestion of her husbands death. The connection between the far reaches of the blue sky and her realization that she has no commitment to another human being (limitless) was fitting. The ending took me by surprise completely, and it really brought the story full circle. I love when a story mentions a detail early on that you forget about, and it ends up being a really important piece later on. It keeps the reader on their toes.
I first saw this short fiction in my writing textbook six months ago when I was still in Shanghai, but a review of it is more than welcoming. It’s a story that could be read many times.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, the plot is compact and full with the sense of drama, though only covering an elapse of an hour. Kate Chopin did a good job in setting up an appealing story, cutting in at an appropriate moment and from the right perspective, presenting the most ironic and dramatic stage of the complete event, and concluding by a surprising yet reasonable ending.
Secondly, considering the living time of the author (1851-1904), this story is quite bold in dealing with the freedom of women. Emily Toth, a scholar, argues that Chopin "had to have her heroine die" in order to make the story publishable. Thought the first wave of Feminist Movement had began, little support could be sought from publishers and the general society.
Thirdly, the story is rich in irony, which mainly lies in the contrast between assumption and truth, something Josephine, Richards and the doctors didn’t seem to realize. Though Josephine revealed the supposed death to her sister “in broken sentences” and “veiled hints that revealed in half concealing”, Louise still took the hints quickly. Richards thought he was doing something good in being the first to take action to “forestall any less careful, less tender friend in bearing the sad message”, his assumed good action (but definitely from kindness) eventually became the killer of Louise. Josephine and Richards assumed that Louise must be suffering from immense sadness, but in fact Louise was undergoing interior transformation, preparing herself for the upcoming freedom. In the end, the doctors claimed that Josephine died of joy. But all the readers know it’s the contrary.
I think what appeals to me most about this story is the ambiguity. I at first thought the same thing most people did, the it would be a story about a widow's attempt to cope with the death of her husband. However, while she does lament his death, she embraces her life as finally her own. I did not expect this, especially because I am not sure I would ever be able to think of a loved one's death in that manner. She isn't even entirely sure that she truly loved him through out their marriage, something that I never expected to read in regard to a long-lasting marriage. As a reader, I'm not about how close they were, about how much she loved him. maybe she really didn't love him completely, or maybe it's just her reaction to his death that cause a moment of denial. The ending especially is ambiguous. The line "A joy that kills" could mean many things. It seems to be a reference to the fact that her heart couldn't handle the joy of her newfound freedom. However it could be that she in fact died because she realized that she was finally free from life, she had lived it all and seen it through to the end. I can imagine that a feeling like that would be incredible freeing. It could also be taken in a more literal manner (we all enjoy many of the things that cause heart disease), although I doubt that.
ReplyDeleteFor such a short story, perhaps too short as I was taken aback by the sudden death, this confusion is important. I a few paragraphs, Chopin lays out a complicated relationship, builds deep tension, and if she had resolved it by the end, I might feel as though it was a waste of my time reading. I do not want to be told everything in a short story, I want the most important part, the conclusion, to be left to my imagination.
Overall, I loved this story, and I will research more of Chopin's stories in the future.
I enjoyed this story quite a bit. I liked the fact that she didn't become so emotionally distraught it was crippling, and at the same time I was left wondering how deep her feelings for him went. It was certainly a new perspective on how a character copes when losing a loved one. I feel as if the death was kind of forced though since the story was so short, if it had been a tad bit lengthier I feel as if it would have fit in better. It was very sudden in my opinion. But I love the phrase that came with it "of joy that kills" So much meaning in such a short phrase.
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