Melvina Thomas
English 30: Section 02
Professor Brosnan
Unit One Essay
Women have traditionally been known as the less dominant sex. Through history women have fought for equal rights and freedom. The story of “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Gilman and “The story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin both have deep meaning, and hidden symbols. In both stories there is a woman who is oppressed by some outside force and must find the way to overcome this oppression Both women are oppressed by males in their life and they are portray as the weaker sex. Both women find ways to cope with the situation and both have an ironic and a tragic ending.
The main theme behind these events are the same and the experience can be compare to each other. In the Story of an Hour, the woman is portrayed as a weak character as soon as the story begins there is a statement; " Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death. (p 181) Not only because she is woman, she also has a heart problem and would not be able to cope with the news. It was her sister Josephine who broke the news to her. After the new was broken Mrs. Millard went in her room alone, she didn’t want no one to follow her, which was strange for someone with a heart condition you would think she will need comfort from family members. What became even more bizarre when she was in the room she faced the open window, comfortable, roomy armchair, into this she stank, pressed down by her physical exhausted. At first there is grief, but “When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: "free, free, free!" The vacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.” (p 181) Then there is the recognition that she will be free, from the thing that was oppressing her. She began picturing her future now that her husband was gone. Even later she continues to repeat "Free! Body and soul free!" she kept whispering”. (p 182) Surprising the story end in a crazy way, with an event the characters tried to avoid at the beginning. Her husband was actually not died, he walks into the house. "When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease – of joy that kills" (p 182) The doctors referenced say it was because of the "joy" that Mrs. Mallard felt upon realizing her husband hadn't died. Her happiness killed her. That would prove just how much she loved her husband, she was just disappointed that her husband was not really died.
"The Story of an Hour" goes along with Gilman "The Yellow Wallpaper" by stating that marriage generally is oppressive the institute of marriage ties the Mrs. Millard and the narrator of these two short stories together, like typical young women of the late 19th centu...
