Entry #1: "The Story Of An Hour" - Kate Chopin (1894)
Entry #1: "The Story of an Hour" - Kate Chopin (1894)
Question #7:
The last line of the story: “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease-of joy that kills.” In what way is this an ironic statement? What is gained by having the doctors make such a statement rather than putting it in the mouths of Josephine or Richards?
A. I believe this statement is ironic because her relief and happiness came after learning about her husband’s sudden death. The unexpected death of Mr. Mallard, although emotionally impacted her at first, it made Louise feel liberated, and enthused about the promise of an enjoyable life. Contrary to what I assume she had experienced prior to hearing the fatal new, Mrs. Mallard quickly developed an appetite for life which the author made evident when using figures of speech in the passage that follows, for instance…
“She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which someone was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves.”
With this imagery, the author tells me that Mrs. Mallard found herself awake, with all her senses aware of her surroundings, and ready to move on the very same day she learned about what turned out to be her husband false death news, ironic indeed.
By having the doctors make this statement, the author accomplishes to depict the views of a male society of the time, which refused to assume responsibility for the pain and suffering they caused their female companion, masking it instead with what seems to me a scornful language for their family circles, which only kept and still keeps women felling oppressed.
Question #8:
What view of marriage does the story present? The story was published in 1894; does it only represent attitudes toward marriage in the nineteenth century, or could it equally apply to attitudes about marriage today?
A. Right in the middle of the American Women Rights Movement, I feel the story presents a negative, but true to the time view of marriage where in most cases the woman is mistreated, oppressed, and even abused (physically and emotionally) due to many reasons, the lack of appreciation for her hard work at raising the very same men who later go out to marry, and mistreat their new wives just as their fathers did with their mothers. Perhaps men’s fear of losing their mate once they are educated and self-assured, which makes them much more attractive to other men, if we look at it from a psychologically perspective… the possibilities are endless.
Today, women do have the right to work in the same industries as men, earn close if not the same salary as men, have the right to go to school, vote, come and go as they please, but unfortunately many are still victims of the same type of physical and emotional abuse others suffered 100 years ago.
Today, the institution of marriage suffers for these reasons, as well as for the fact that young ladies are raised to not accept the treatment described above, which I think is great, but many times strive to be so strong and protective of themselves, investing their emotions far less in relationships that is almost impossible for a man to break that virtual wall down, in order to “sweep them of their feet.”
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Entry #8 - Talley's Folly - by Lanford Wilson
About Sally…
As a young lady, Sally Talley was the poster child of the successful American family: beautiful, educated, and well behaved, which may be attributed to the family’s conservative values and high regards for social and business/professional status. She was raised in the Midwestern town of the Ozarks, where her family owned a large uniform factory. In her early 30’s, Sally is an independent, single woman, and though living in the same house as her relatives, she is isolated from them. Hunted by her inability to bear children, and as a cause, the rupture of the most promising business partnership her town might have witnessed, she finds herself an outcast in her own home. In spite of the negative connotations her name carries, at least in her parents’ house, Sally shows much desire to move forward and help others, as she shows by working as a nurse’s aide, and through her sporadic outings with her colleagues, with whom she plans rent a place.
About Matt…
Matt Friedman is a sharp-witted accountant, living in St Louis, Missouri. His passions include the art of mimicry, an acute understanding of numbers, and great conviction for pursuing Sally. In the United States, Matt does his best to put his past behind him, but remains hunted by the death by torture of his young sister, and the torture and incarceration of his parents, both by French and German agents respectively. After fleeing Europe as a child, he reached the United States, and as an adult is a very observant man, realistic, and often sarcastic, who takes pride in being a logical thinking person, whose emotions rarely dictate his decisions. One aspect of his life which is dominated by his emotions and past experiences is the point of procreation. He has decided not to bring a child to the world, as he doubts there is anything but war and suffering in it. His love for Sally is another aspect of his life where his emotions remain totally committed.
Their views…
Sally and Matt’s views of life and world are quite different, yet they seem to be tied to each other in a very particular and interesting way. Matt’s passion for living in the moment, expressed through his impersonations and mimicry are contrasted by Sally’s dry sense of humor, and calculated way of doing things, for instance her savings plan. Her sense of awareness regarding social values and family life, contrasts Matt’s little desire to have children, although he lungs to marry Sally. In Matt we see a determination to detach himself from his roots by adopting different accents through mimicry, whereas Sally has not left her home town, still lives with her parents, and plans to remain close by. Ultimately both have resolved to keep personal part of their lives at least from one another, which in fact does bring them together closer than any other single thing in their lives… their suffering brought by their respective painful losses, for example Sally cannot have children and is affraid Matt will not accept her for this, and Matt does not want to have any children and does fear Sally would demand family and children, should she accept him… perfect match!
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