There can be no doubt in the assertion that the concept of freedom has always been depicted in the oeuvre of different writers. It is usually connected with the absence of the outer force that could oppress the character. However, Chopin’s representation of freedom in her Story of an hour deserves scrupulous attention due to the reason that the author portrays it through the prism of death. Therefore, the concept of freedom acquires new unexpected meaning, which leads to the reader’s understanding of the short story. Although Chopin’s Story of an hour can serve as a representation of different concepts, the most striking one is that of freedom. Presumably, Kate Chopin portrays the concept of freedom from the perspective of death, thus drawing the reader’s attention to the problematic nature of marriage and human relationships.
It can be easily assumed that in Chopin’s short story the conceptual framework of freedom is limited to the representation of husband-wife relationships and death. At the beginning of the story, young woman finds out about the death of her husband. She perceives this chance news as something that should totally change her life, but not in the usual sense of grief. She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance. Moreover, the author manipulates the reader’s understanding in quite a surprising way. It turns out that the woman eventually feels free from her husband and she is not confined to the role of a wife any more.
Death serves as a literary concept that enriches the underlying concept. Freedom is actually achieved by means of death. The author proves that the scope of death is so encompassing and unpredictable that it can even lead to someone’s freedom. In the text of the short story, one may encounter the following passage: “There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature”. Therefore, the absence of the above-mentioned ‘powerful will’ that was the result of Brently Mallard’s expected death could mean freedom for the woman.
The concept of freedom exists only within the character’s thoughts and imagination. The unexpected ending, when the husband comes back home without even knowing about the news, was specifically chosen to ruin this concept in the character’s imagination. The woman immediately understands that her freedom was taken from her by the denial of his death. Interestingly, the potential reader comes to realize that freedom can result from someone’s death and it can actually take only one instant. Understanding that her husband is alive, Mrs. Mallard dies herself: when the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease – of the joy that kills. The last passage of the story is highly ironic and oxymoronic in nature. Neither was Mrs. Mallard happy to find out that her husband is alive, nor the joy killed her. What matters in this context, is the immediate appearance, destruction, and loss of freedom. It can be easily assumed that Chopin could mean that joy never killed and the death of her character possessed hidden meaning. Such an ending only highlights Kate Chopin’s intentions to show that taking the freedom from someone’s imagination is marked with highly negative consequences.
In conclusion, the concept of freedom takes an evident place in The story of an hour. It is reasonable to admit that Mrs. Mallard’s death is caused by the unexpected emergence of her husband. The underlying concept is noticeably fortified with the representation of death and woman-husband relationships. Apparently, the author dwells upon the issues of freedom and its lack. The ending proves that freedom is the driving force for a living and that life does not have the usual sense without it. The story of an hour serves as the portrayal of the underlying concept in its striking manifestation: freedom can be never achieved in marriage, it can only result from death.
About the author:
Ava is the youngest manager at the writing company. Also, she is a part-time writer at https://essaysworld.net/. You should read her reviews of books and films. It's a masterpiece. Ava is a modern art lover and she can talk about the importance of street art for hours. Ava enjoys sharing her spare time with friends by examining coffee houses all around the city.
