XII-Application of American Realism in Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour

1. 1- Literary Elements in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”

      First published in 1894, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is a thought-provoking short story. Set in the late 19th century, the narrative follows Louise Mallard, a woman with a heart condition, who receives the news of her husband’s death in a railroad accident. Initially overwhelmed by grief, Louise’s emotional journey takes an unexpected turn as she contemplates the newfound sense of freedom and independence that her husband’s death brings.

      The story unfolds within the confines of Mrs. Mallard’s home, reflecting social expectations and the limited roles available to women during that era. As the protagonist experiences a range of emotions within the span of an hour, Chopin skillfully explores themes of female identity, societal constraints, and the complexities of marriage.

“The Story of an Hour” Characters

• Louise Mallard
• Brently Mallard: husband of Louise
• Josephine: sister of Louise
• Richards: friend of Brently Mallard

“The Story of an Hour” Time and Place

The story is set in the late nineteenth century in the Mallard residence, the home of Brently and Louise Mallard. More about the location is not specified. (Kate)

Major Themes

The Forbidden Joy of Independence

      In “The Story of an Hour”, independence is a forbidden pleasure that can be imagined only privately. When Louise hears from Josephine and Richards of Brently’s death, she reacts with obvious grief, and although her reaction is perhaps more violent than other women’s, it is an appropriate one. Alone, however, Louise begins to realize that she is now an independent woman, a realization that enlivens and excites her. Even though these are her private thoughts, she at first tries to squelch the joy she feels, to “beat it back with her will” (Kate). Such resistance reveals how forbidden this pleasure really is. When she finally does acknowledge the joy, she feels possessed by it and must abandon herself to it as the word free escapes her lips. Louise’s life offers no refuge for this kind of joy, and the rest of society will never accept it or understand it. Extreme circumstances have given Louise a taste of this forbidden fruit, and her thoughts are, in turn, extreme. She sees her life as being absolutely hers and her new independence as the core of her being. (Sparknotes)

The Inherent Oppressiveness of Marriage

      Chopin suggests that all marriages, even the kindest ones, are inherently oppressive. Louise, who readily admits that her husband was kind and loving, nonetheless feels joy when she believes that he has died. Her reaction doesn’t suggest any malice, and Louise knows that she will cry at Brently’s funeral. However, despite the love between husband and wife, Louise views Brently’s death as a release from oppression. (Sparknotes)

The Uncontrollable Nature of Fate

      As Louise embraces her independence after Brently’s death, she relies heavily on the assumption that personal agency gives an individual the ability to control their fate. The idea of determining her destiny inspires Louise to put herself first and look toward her future rather than wallow in grief over her husband. The story’s surprise ending, however, pushes back against this notion and ultimately emphasizes the uncontrollable nature of fate. (Sparknotes)

Motifs

Heart Trouble

      The heart trouble that afflicts Louise is both a physical and symbolic malady that represents her ambivalence toward her marriage and unhappiness with her lack of freedom. The fact that Louise has heart trouble is the first thing we learn about her, and this heart trouble is what seems to make the announcement of Brently’s death so threatening. Indeed, Louise seems to have died of a broken heart, caused by the sudden loss of her much-loved independence.

The Open Window

     The open window from which Louise gazes for much of the story represents the freedom and opportunities that await her after her husband has died. From the window, Louise sees blue sky, fluffy clouds, and treetops. She hears people and birds singing and smells a coming rainstorm. Everything that she experiences through her senses suggests joy and spring, new life. (Sparknotes)

2. 2- Features of Realism in Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour

Critics’ Views about “The Story of an Hour”

The story is “one of feminism’s sacred texts,” Susan Cahill writing in 1975, when readers were first discovering Kate Chopin.

“Love has been, for Louise and others, the primary purpose of life, but through her new perspective, Louise comprehends that ‘love, the unsolved mystery’ counts for very little. . . . Love is not a substitute for selfhood; indeed, selfhood is love’s precondition.” Barbara C. Ewell

“Mrs. Mallard will grieve for the husband who had loved her but will eventually revel in the ‘monstrous joy’ of self-fulfillment, beyond ideological strictures and the repressive effects of love.” Mary Papke

Kate Chopin “was a life-long connoisseur of rickety marriages, and all her wisdom is on display in her piercing analysis of this thoroughly average one.” Christopher Benfey

“In the mid- to late 1890s, Vogue was the place where Chopin published her most daring and surprising stories [‘The Story of an Hour’ and eighteen others]. . . . Because she had Vogue as a market — and a well-paying one — Kate Chopin wrote the critical, ironic, brilliant stories about women for which she is known today. Alone among magazines of the 1890s, Vogue published fearless and truthful portrayals of women’s lives.” Emily Toth

Her husband’s death forces Louise to reconcile her “inside” and “outside” consciousness,  a female double consciousness within Louise’s thoughts. Though constrained by biological determinism, social conditioning, and marriage, Louise reclaims her own life,  but at a price. Her death is the result of the complications in uniting both halves of her world. Angelyn Mitchell

Louise Mallard’s death isn’t caused by her joy at seeing her husband’s return or by her sudden realization that his death has granted her autonomy. She dies as a result of the strain she is under. The irony of her death is that even if her sudden epiphany is freeing, her autonomy is empty, because she has no place in society. Mark Cunningham (Kate)

Realism

      Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” is an example of realistic prose that reflects the 19th-century position of women in American society. The traditional view on femininity and the place of women in the community supposed that they could only become mothers and wives. Becoming professionals or active members of society was unacceptable, especially for middle and upper-class women. At the same time, regardless of these females’ comparatively high social and economic status, they were utterly dependent on their husbands. There is no need to say that this restricted position of females made many feel they could not develop their potential and fulfill their desires. The short story by Kate Chopin is a realistic reflection of the feminist tendencies that started to grow at the end of the 19th century.

      The significant elements of realistic prose can be noticed in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”. The main protagonist of this piece of literature is Louise Mallard, who receives the news that her husband has recently passed away in an awful railroad accident. Shortly after her “grief” subsides, Mrs. Mallard begins to realize the amount of opportunity and freedom she received with her husband’s recent passing (Realism).

      “The Story of an Hour” expresses realism as it truly displays how most women felt about marriage throughout the 1890s. The story exposed women’s mixed feelings throughout their marriage by exhibiting the uncertain emotions Mrs. Mallard felt upon discovering her husband had passed away. Instead of being swallowed up in sadness and guilt, Mrs. Mallard could not help but think about all the things she could do without worrying about her husband’s overbearing control over her.

      Throughout the entire story, images of freedom are shown through diction such as “the open window,” “new spring life,” and spring rather than fall,” which all create an emphasis on the sense of an open atmosphere (Chopin). Mrs. Mallard quite literally says: “Free, free, free! Free! Body and Soul Free!” as if she was finally living for herself and not for anyone else (Chopin). The prison called family control finally had ceased to exist, or at least she thought it had.

     It is evident throughout Chopin’s story that the story revolves around metaphorical interpretation. Although some direct phrases unveil how Mrs. Mallard feels, such as “free, free, free,” she also includes other phrases that are not as noticeable (Geriguis 2). The open window, for example, displays a sense of freedom as Mrs. Mallard begins to absorb the “delicious breath of rain in the air,” “the countless sparrows twittering,” and “the notes of a distant song which someone was singing,” (Chopin) she begins to realize that her own husband’s death will allow her to become an independent individual (Geriguis 2).

      The way the main female protagonist in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” perceives her constrained position in traditional relationships and family is the realistic way to describe the feminist trends in the popular culture of that period. Even though the female protagonist in Chopin’s story did not suffer from violence or abuse at home, she still lacked freedom and could not live as an autonomous adult. It was consistent with the views of Victorian society on the place of women in the community’s life. The female had the opportunity to become a good mother or a decent wife, but she had no right to make free decisions without asking the husband for permission. There is no need to say that this crisis of ideology required representation in the piece of literature, and the discussed story was one of these realistic examples. (Realism)

The features of Realism are demonstrated in the following table:

Feature of Realism	Explanation	Example in the Story	Analysis
Ordinary Characters and Setting	Realism focuses on everyday life and common people, not heroes or extraordinary events.	Louise Mallard is a middle-class woman at home; the action takes place over the course of a single hour.	Highlights the mundane yet emotionally significant nature of her experience, emphasizing realism's attention to ordinary life.
Psychological Complexity	Realism explores inner thoughts and emotional nuance, portraying characters with depth and contradictions.	Louise feels initial grief, then unexpected joy at the thought of freedom.	Shows the complexity of human emotion, especially in the context of societal expectations around grief and widowhood.
Objective and Restrained Narration	Realist texts often use a neutral, third-person narrator who avoids overt sentimentality or moralizing.	The narrator presents Louise’s emotions and actions with calm, descriptive language.	The detached tone enhances believability and allows readers to interpret Louise’s feelings without authorial intrusion.
Social Commentary on Gender Roles	Realism often critiques social institutions by showing how they affect individuals’ lives in realistic, subtle ways.	Louise feels “free, free, free” upon learning of her husband’s death.	Reveals the restrictive nature of marriage for women in the 19th century, aligning with realist critiques of domestic and gender norms.
Irony and Unidealized Endings	Realist stories frequently avoid happy or neatly resolved conclusions, instead reflecting life’s unpredictability.	Louise dies from shock when her husband reappears alive.	The ending is ironic and tragic, not romantic or heroic, reinforcing realism’s commitment to portraying the harshness and ambiguity of real life.
Plausibility and Real-Life Concerns	Realism avoids fantasy or exaggeration, grounding events in real-world possibilities and social realities.	The story revolves around a miscommunication and a woman’s emotional reaction—entirely plausible situations.	Emphasizes how real, everyday events can have profound emotional consequences, aligning with realism’s goal of truthfully representing human experience.