"Story of an Hour" Q's
What is Mrs. Mallard's response to her husband's death in "The Story of an Hour"?
Joy
Who wrote this?
Kate Chopin
What has supposedly happened to Mr. Mallard? How did they find out?
Killed in a railroad disaster, Richards had heard about it in a newspaper office. He had double checked by a second telegram.
Which event is the story's climax?
Mrs. Mallard dies as Mr. Mallard walks in.
In "The Story of an Hour," why is Josephine afraid to tell Mrs. Mallard that her husband died?
Mrs. Mallard has a heart condition
What does it demonstrate when Josephine tells the bad news in unfinished sentences?
Society considered women weak and fragile.
What external conflict does Mrs. Mallard face after hearing of her husband's death?
Society expects her to act a certain way (be dependent and sad) instead of being strong and free as she wants to be. On a smaller scale, Josephine is knocking on her door.
What happens when Josephine brings Mrs. Mallard downstairs?
Someone opens the door, her husband walks in, Richards tries to block her view but she sees him and falls over.
In what season does "The Story of an Hour" occur?
Spring
How does narrator say that Mrs. Mallard is different from most other new widows?
The normal, or expected, response was denial. Mrs. Mallard accepted the news and broke down crying right away.
What does she notice when she gets to her room (out of her window)?
The trees were starting to bud "aquiver with new spring life" Scent of rain was in the air "delicious breath of rain" Heard a peddler who was advertising his stuff "carrying his wares" Distant song being sung "Sparrows twittering in the eaves (rooftops)" Patches of blue skies showing through the clouds.
Hands folded tenderly; face that looked upon her with love
There seems to be no question whether her husband loved her, is there? What clues are there of HOW he loved her?
What does she think of her husband?
Thinks about how she loved her husband sometimes, but more often she didn't love him.
What does Mrs. Mallard come to believe about imposing one's will on another person?
To do so is wrong, even if intentions are good.
overjoyed that he is still alive
What "joy" does the doctor think killed Mrs. Mallard?
He feels like she needs support/is delicate; he does not want a gossipy person to reveal the bad news
What are Richards' feelings for Mrs. Mallard?
The reader may expect her to be older; even though she is young, she has been through some kind of tragedy
What does her face tell you about her life?
She really is capable of great emotion, but that the grief will not overwhelm her
What does her passionate response tell us about her? (This is our first real clue as to what sort of person she is—- aside from her reported state of health.)
She is treated like a child, as incapable of handling anything difficult
What does the manner of telling Mrs. Mallard the bad news indicated about her customary environment?
possibility/freedom; the sense of freedom is tangible
What is the "something" that is coming to her? Why is this "message" arriving externally?
She is afflicted with "a heart trouble" and people "handle with care"
What is the first thing we are told about Mrs. Mallard? How does this affect the way people treat her?
Which moment is an example of situational irony?
When Mrs. Mallard whispers, "free, free, free," after hearing of her husband's death
the temporary joy taken away from her; she would rather be free in death than oppressed in her marriage
Why did Mrs. Mallard really die?
How much time does this story cover from beginning to end?
an hour
How does Louise Mallard characterize human relationships in "The Story of an Hour"?
as a crime
Readers in Kate Chopin's time must have found "The Story of an Hour" particularly shocking because of the contrast between Mrs. Mallard's response to her husband's death (happy) and
the response that society would consider appropriate (sad)
Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" is a powerful illustration of the
tragedy of thwarted love
When a character says the exact opposite of what he or she really means, it is
verbal irony
she does not have a normal reaction to the news; she did not care enough for her husband to be grieved; women were expected to be devastated
How does Mrs.Mallard's reaction differ from other women's?
That she has been caged like a bird; men bending their will onto women
In paragraph 10, what do "abandoned" and "escaped" suggest? Is there other imagery of imprisonment in the story?
Transformation; excitement
In paragraph 10, what is happening to her? Why does she repeat "free"?
Family/ friends may see her joy at his death as monstrous/like a monster who never cared; the realization that she can be herself
In paragraph 11, who would consider this joy "monstrous"? What makes her perception "clear and exalted?"
Men were in control; the crime is relating to the power and controlling the spouse, and no matter if he had cruel or kind intentions, it was still a crime. "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"
In paragraph 12, what general statement is made about relationships, particularly between men and women. What might make it a "crime"? Do you agree?
They expected her to be so overwrought that she might make herself sick/kill herself
In paragraph 15, what does Josephine's plea say about the expectations of those around Louise (now given a name)?
both medicinal and intoxicating
In paragraph 16, elixir means: 1. a sweetened aromatic solution of alcohol and water, used as a vehicle for medicine. 2. a medicine regarded as a cure for all ills. 3. the quintessence or underlying principle. How do these different definitions shed light on her revelation?
time stands still for that one hour; the hour is but a moment in her life (the whole story happens in 1 hour)
In paragraph 17, note the repetition of the idea of time. Look back to the title. What is the role of time ?in this story
conquered the repression/power and is now able to be herself
In paragraph 18, what has she conquered that would make her seem victorious (like a goddess of victory) ?
he is a strong man, powerful and a working class man; maybe on a business trip
In paragraph 19, what does the description of Brentley say about him?
Spring=rebirth/new life; she is tasting the possibility of her freedom; she is experiencing an awaking to the idea that she will be in control of her life
In paragraph 5, note the contrast of motion and stillness. Why is the time of year so important? Delicious ordinarily refers to taste. Who is "tasting" here? What does this detail, as well as the other sensory images, tell you about what she is experiencing?
In "The Story of an Hour," the thing that Mrs. Mallard feels approaching her is described as "creeping" and as something that will "possess her," Why are these words ironic?
It is her freedom she feels coming
Mrs. Mallard's reflection that she had recently wished for a short life soon has additional irony for the reader because
she gets what she wanted after she stopped wanting it
When an outcome is the opposite of what is expected, it is
situational irony
Josephine (symbol)
societal expectation
heart trouble (symbol)
state of dismarriage
What news does Mrs. Mallard receive at the end of the story that is very surprising?
that her husband is still alive and was nowhere near the accident
How do Mr. and Mrs. Mallard feel about each other?
He loves her, she loves him sometimes.
Why does Richards rush to tell Mrs. Mallard the news?
He wants to be the one to tell her the news.
Mrs. Mallard spreads her arms out to welcome what?
Her freedom.
freedom, opportunity, etc.
From paragraph 16 and looking back in the story, just what is coming through an "open window"?
What word is building up inside her?
Free... Free. She feels it building up inside of her
Which does Mrs. Mallard value more love or freedom?
Freedom.
what year was it published?
1896
men were in control and women subservient in marriages
After reading "The Story of an Hour" and Kate Chopin's biography, how would you characterize Kate Chopin's view of marriage?
breath of rain (symbol)
Baptism
What ironic detail helps you predict Mrs. Mallard's sudden end?
Before her husband died, she had wished for a short life. After he died, she wished for a long life.
What does she finally realize after she thinks about how she didn't really love her husband? Then what does she do?
Finally becomes aware of her sister whispering in the keyhole, who is worried that Louise will be ill, but that is not true, she was enjoying the spring and possibility, she then decides to get up and go outside her room.
In "The Story of an Hour," what word does Louise repeat to herself in her room?
Free
Why does Mrs. Mallard refuse her sister Josephine's offer to keep her company?
Mrs. Mallard needs privacy to revel in her true feelings
new spring life (symbol)
Mrs. Mallard's new life
What do the trees full of new leaves foreshadow (new spring life) ?
Mrs. Mallard's new life is beginning.
What is a major theme of Chopin's "The Story of an Hour"
Personal freedom
This story is considered to be
Realist
How does Mrs. Mallard feel right after she accepts that she will be free?
Relaxed.
Why does her husband's death make Mrs. Mallard free?
She doesn't have to live under him anymore.
After she cries, what does Mrs. Mallard do?
She goes alone to her room.
What do we find out about Mrs. Mallard in the introduction? And who is at her house?
She has a bad heart, her husband has supposedly died. Her sister Josephine and someone named Richards (family friend)
What does she realize when she keeps thinking the word "free"?
She realizes that her life now belongs entirely to her, she saw the long progression of the years to come that would be hers and hers alone, and she welcomed it, there would be no one to live for in the years to come, except herself.
What is her actual cause of death?
She was terrified when she saw her husband, she was so excited for her freedom before.
Kate Chopin's TSOAH was
rejected by magazine editors
sparrows (symbol)
celebration
Under which type of irony would you classify Josephine's fear that her sister will "make herself ill" by grieving alone in her room?
dramatic
When the audience knows something that the characters in the story do not, it is
dramatic irony
patches of blue sky (symbol)
emergence of new life (good AND bad)
goddess of victory (symbol)
empowerment
Open Window (symbol)
endless opportunities
In "The Story of an Hour," whom does Mrs. Mallard believe she will live for when she thinks her husband has been killed?
for herself
What reason was cited for the "great care" that was taken in breaking the bad news to Mrs. Mallard?
her heart troubles
Mrs. Mallard is told of her husband's death. How is she told he died?
in a train accident
Brently Mallard (symbol)
opression
closed door (symbol)
past/old life
elixir of life (symbol)
revitalization