Analysis of the Feminist Approach in The Story of an Hour

Every death may have a variety of consequences on a person. People experience euphoria from it on occasion, but the great majority of the time they do not. Most widows would react negatively to the death of their beloved spouse, but Louise reacted calmly. In The Story of An Hour, the heroine is ecstatic about her significant other's death since she accepts, she has regained the potential she had lost with her better half. The main character admits that she has no opportunity; she is enslaved by her partner; the story takes place with Louise acknowledging that she is a freed woman and that she has another beginning to her new existence. Within 60 minutes that portrays a widow woman obtaining her short freedom in which only male predominance is so common that women are viewed as powerless and inferior in the absence of a male power.

The Story of An Hour: Analysis

The story begins when we find that Mrs. Mallard generally disapproves of her heart, so when her better half passes on, her family must be extra cautious into breaking the insight about her husband’s death; that he has been killed in a railroad mishap. She (Louise) at first feels numb and in all out shock from the get go, and needs to be totally alone to handle her misfortune. When Louise is separated from everyone else, she notices something she hasn't seen in a long time: the appealing, alluring magnificence of nature outside her window. After that second to herself, she begins to have a positive outlook on life. She begins to think about all of the wonderful opportunities she will have now that her better half is no longer alive. 'Free! Body and soul free!' Louise murmurs to herself, knowing full well that once she sees her significant other's dead body at the burial service, she will second-guess herself; despite the fact that there is no evidence in the text that her better half was unkind or authoritarian to her. Louise seems to unsure of her feelings toward her partner, even though it wasn't love, and by the end of the story, she is clearly looking forward to her future as a widow, however as she walks out of her room, Brently Mallard opens the door and started walking inside her home, and Brently breaks the news to her separately and informs her that there was a miscommunication and that her significant other was not on the train. Louise then succumbs to the anguish, and it is assumed that she died as a result of 'the joy that kills.' Those present believed she was so charmed to see her better half alive that she passed away as a result of the surprise.

However, in truth, she collapsed unexpectedly from the shock of discovering that the future she thought was only a helpless dream, and that 'all kinds of days that would be her own' will now be complicated. The story 'There would be nobody to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself,' from the point of view of a basic women's activist, focuses on the presumptions placed on ladies by the foundation of marriage. There would be no strong will twisting hers in that visually impaired thoroughness with what people accept they reserve the right to impose their will on an actual human creature. This is an extraordinary illustration of the assumptions for a late nineteenth-century marriage: that the spouse must be the one 'to Force his will' towards its better half. When Louise believes that 'a thoughtful purpose or a terrible aim caused the demonstration to appear to be no less a crime,' we, the readers, see that the real issue isn't with persons, but with her marriage. Despite the fact that her significant other was neither mean nor a terrible husband, he was caring to her and had the right goals, he the husband had all the power in the relationship because men have more power and control over everything in the ladies' life.

Feminist approach of the story

The main feminist approach of this short story is mainly focused on female poor treatment, dating back to the nineteenth century, and particularly in relationships at the time. Women were 'claimed by their spouses or male figures' and had little control over their lives and Chopin conveys the horror of the current situation through a given perception of the first person as well as the expressive subtleties of the brief story. The first sentence, in which she is addressed as 'Mrs. Mallard,' is one evidence of the fundamental person's mistreatment. Her significant other is given a first name, but the main character is not revealed until later in the story; she is simply referred to as Brently Mallard's wife. Then, many years later, while attending to her significant other's 'passing,' Louise depicts her marriage life as if it had been a mistake. 'Strong will bowing hers in that visually impaired industriousness with what people accept as a privilege to impose a private will on an individual.' Louise admits to herself that her better half was not a bad man or a bad spouse; rather, she did feel overpowered because she had a dominating husband who had her completely under control with no room for self-expression. She feels as if she is being denied access to her life; she is inert.

Feminist criticism of the story

In "The Story of an Hour" feminist criticism unveils the societal constraints that Louise Mallard and women of her time faced, shedding light on the suffocating roles imposed on them. The feminist approach that is shown in 'The Story of an Hour' revolves around the theme of women's liberation and societal constraints. Louise's experience serves as a powerful illustration of how women of that era were often trapped in suffocating roles. This feminist perspective challenges the traditional narrative and invites readers to reconsider the expectations placed on women during the 19th century. The sense of opportunity that Louise hadn't yet sensed after learning that her better half had been killed in a train accident is central to this feminist critique. For an hour, Louise marveled at the wonder of being free of a controlling spouse, defying societal expectations. Characters in the story illustrate how people viewed Louise after her better half died, highlighting the discrepancy between society's perception of widows as powerless and Louise's own experience.

References

1. Chopin, K. (1894). The Story of An Hour. Vogue, 23(10), 1-2.
2. De Beauvoir, S. (1949). The Second Sex. Alfred A. Knopf.
3. Foucault, M. (1976). The History of Sexuality: An Introduction. Pantheon.
4. Gilligan, C. (1982). In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development. Harvard University Press.
5. Hooks, B. (2000). Feminism is for everybody: Passionate Politics. South End Press.
6. Lorde, A. (1984). Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Crossing Press.
7. Mill, J.S. (1869). The Subjection of Women. Longmans, Green, and Co.