Story of an Hour: Symbolism

During Kate Chopins marriage she resided in Louisiana where the laws favored the save in a type of patriarchal code. At the time women were subjected to a lesser division and the husbands will was freely enforce upon their wives. In The Story of an Hour much of Chopins hope for the opinion of immunity is reflected to us by means of the character of Mrs. M altogetherard. The societal norms of the late 1800s dictated that women would assume the feminine role and live for their husbands as a womans place was to reside in the shadow of her man. with the rich use of imageism Chopin illustrates how the confinement created by social inequality illuminates our inherent desire for granting immunity. The heart is a repeated conventional symbol used that reinforces Mrs. Mallards internal and external restrictions set upon her. crafty that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with heart trouble, great care was taken to knap to her as gently as possible the discussion of her husbands expirati on (115). Immediately it is revealed that Mrs. Mallard suffers from heart trouble that not scarcely is the cause of her death, hardly a incubus she carries throughout the story.The heart is lots used to symbolize a loving relationship, precisely here her troubled heart symbolizes her troubled marriage. Just like her heart she has no run across over her marriage and she constantly feels the imposing will of her husband lurking around. The spick-and-spans of her husbands death acts as a catalyst and sets aside a chain reaction of repressed emotions within Mrs. Mallard that throw a fit her awareness of what has occurred. With the presence of her husband evaporating from her conscience, the prospect of freedom is so taunt that she can buoynot help but feel pure bliss.The shackles placed on her by her husband were as real as her troubled heart, and with his passing these shackles were unlatched and she had been set free. Free, free, free (116) as Her pulses beat fast, and t he coursing blood change and relaxed every inch of her body (116). Both her body and mind had been revitalized she was free to live. Just like the literal use of opening a window, the open window Mrs. Mallard gazes out of symbolizes the releasing of her past heart, and renewal it with the new un curb globe she right off has access to. She could see in the open square before her house the tops of maneuvers that were all aquiver with the new spring emotional state. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. (115). In stock to her heart troubles and the death of her husband, on that point was a world teeming with life in front of her. The open window presented the ideal view of tree tops full of life and the scent of the rain beckoning at her. perhaps this world was always there, but the mere existence of her husband inhibited her field of vision leaving her to precisely see what he saw.Although the world around her had not changed, the realization that she was her inges t woman now was tolerable to alter her perspective. The monot i and bleak world she at at one time saw was now abundant with songbirds and vibrant colors. All the restrictions had been lifted off of her shoulders like overbold air coming through the now open window. Freedom was a few mere steps away for her, ready to be seized. ending can be interpreted in many ways, but in The Story of an Hour death symbolizes the greatest freedom attainable. It is an ironic freedom as Mrs.Mallard will never be aware that she has obtained it, but nonetheless it will forever be hers. Death is straightforward, because in death we lose everything. When Mrs. Mallard suddenly spends from the sight of her unscathed husband, the doctor comes to the result that she had died of heart disease of joy that kills (116). The doctor assumes that her death was caused by the joy from her husband, whom she thought to be dead, but in fact something else has caused it. Mrs. Mallard died from the calamity cre ated by the mere idea that her new found freedom and ego possession was to be stolen from her.Having just attained her adept of self possession, she straight knows that the presence of her husband means going back to the confined life she knew. She would be the wife living, even cowering under the power her husband held. She breathed a diligent prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long (116). Day to day life under the power of her square other was detrimental to Mrs. Mallard and it was only yesterday that she hoped for a quick death and freedom. Mrs.Mallards fear of losing her new found freedom displays how significant being free was to her. The loss of her freedom created more of a shock then the death of her husband and perhaps it was her fate to die by the hands of her husband. Whether it was literally by her husbands hands, her induce suicide, or her heart giving out, they all reflect back on the husband a nd the social inequality she felt. Unable to withstand the impact of losing herself once more, Mrs. Mallard was literally left heartbroken and embraced the freedom that death offers us all.As the title suggests The Story of an Hour is contrived within one hour and the use of time symbolizes the ticking away of our being and subsequently our freedom. An hour is a rather short amount of time but, as shown in the story, a lifetimes worth of repressed emotions can be unleashed in an hours time. Mrs. Mallard goes through a personal metamorphosis during this hour as she processes everything that has unfolded before her. In happenstance with her desire to be free, Mrs. Mallard also celebrates how her remaining time is her own.Recognizing that she no longer is marginalized by her husband, life now belongs to her. Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own (116). Every day is now her own masterpiece, no longer will she be subjected to the feminine role order ing has decided for her. Perhaps Mrs. Mallard may not have been number the minutes for her the news of her husbands death, but when the opportunity presents itself her profoundly buried desire to be free rises up to the surface and shows how wet it truly is.Ironically, Mrs. Mallard only had enough time to briefly slap the taste of freedom, before being dragged down into the belly of death. Widely viewed as an early feminist writer, Kate Chopin addresses the social inequality of the late 1800s through the marriage of Mrs. Mallard and how freedom is essential to our being. Mrs. Mallards distemper of a weak heart provides symbolic evidence to conclude that she carries the burden of unequal strengths in her marriage.Her heart is weakened by a dyed relationship and in conjunction with the oppressive nature of marriage creates a life in which she is held prisoner to the will of her husband. After the death of her husband, the once closed window to self possession and fulfillment is unlocked without a trace of regret. No longer oppressed, the mind and body see there were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds (115) and the innate desire to run free and escape is unleashed. No longer oppressed, the desire to be free from social injustice and inequality possesses Mrs.Mallard, letting her exuberance run wild. In the midst of triumph we often lose our sense of time and how fragile life is. Death lingers around everyone and is the inevitable end, but perhaps it is the absolute freedom. In death we lose everything, but ironically, we gain ground an unclaimed freedom. Mrs. Mallards inevitable death is not caused by her own weak heart, but her husbands oppressive role which forced her into the clutches of eternal freedom. Her take aim for freedom transcended her physical need for life and in death her desire for freedom is satiated.