Kate Choplin-The Story Of An Hour

* At the time Kate Choplin started writing,around the 1890's.the American way of life and action had seen vast changes,but the idea of true autonomy for women or the question of a single sexual standard for men and women was far from the limelight.it is no wonder then that Kate was then met with a dissaproving public reception,but in retrospect is considered a women ahead of her times;for Kate started her writing,with a frank potrayal of a woman's sexual social and spiritual awakening.Love and passion,marriage and independence,freedom and restraint became the major themes of her work.Born to an Irish-French family,Kate lost her father at an early age.however,she lived a comfortable life,surrounded by her widowed mother and her grandmother apart from other relatives.It is only natural to attribute her delicate understanding Of a women's point of view in a male dominated society to the influence of a feminine environment,and the absence of a patriarch .

Kate once qouted approvingly,that there should be an eleventh commandement-thou shalt not preach,a commandment she obeyed throughout her work.She wrote a particular truth woithout judgement or censure.The Story of an Hour is one such piece of work,a short story about a Mrs Mallard.The story isnt didactic,and in its simplicity,may not seem so heavily imbued with meaning,much less a social critique.However,heaviliy loaded with simbolism,an alert reader will notice how Kate cleverly brings to fore the plight of married women in the late nineteenth century.

MRs Mallard immediately comes accross as someone very fragile,since she is afflicted with a a heart trouble.We anticipate much melodrama when the news of her husband's demise is broken to her.However,we are informed that she takes it not with the paralysed inability to accept the truth but quite conveniently comes to terms with her widowhood.She takes only a few minutes to retire to her room where she wishes to be left alone,and the reality unfolds for us.

"There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair. Into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul."

Instead of being dominated by a feeling of impending doom,which one normally expects of someone who has just been bereaved,it is surprising that to Mrs Mallard a chair may appear comfortable and roomy.Isnt it true,that what we see around us is coloured by our own mindset?Considering that psychological fact,we know something is not quite 'normal' when she can look at trees all "aquiver with new spring life" and the breath of rain in the air is delicious.The sybolism becomes clear with the description of the sky,"patches of blue sky showing here and there"-the more than abvious connotation here is that of clouds with a silver lining.What possible silver lining cuold this terrible news have for a young wife? The fact is,that at the time Kate was writing,late nineteenth century,women were expected to keep house,rear and bear children and little more.Women were patriarchal possessions,tranferred from the father to the husband.With no right to work or vote,a woman was either a daughter,a wife and a mother.women's individuality was unheard of.

Mrs mallard,in her moment of contemplation,is coming to a realisation at a subconscious level, and simultaneously fighting it at the conscious.Women of the time werent brought up to sieve through a news like that,an idea of freedom.However,no matter how hard she tried,there is "something coming to her

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