Few Short Months Later Kate's Mother example essay topic

The Feminist View of Kate Chopin Kate O'Flaherty Chopin was born February 8, 1851 into a prominent family in St. Louis. Her father was an Irish immigrant and was a successful St. Louis merchant who was killed in a train accident when Kate was only five. That only left her, her widowed mother, widowed grand-ma, and a few brothers and sisters... "A community of women who stressed learning, curiosity, and financial independence" (syersted, 20) On June 9, 1870, two years after graduating from the Academy, Kate Married Oscar Chopin.

They were married for twelve years. During this time, Kate gave birth to five boys and one girl. "Devoted herself to her family and household, she still managed to reconcile the needs of her own being. She dressed unconventionally and smoked cigarettes long before smoking was approved for women by society" (20) When Oscar died in 1882, Kate and her kids moved back to St. Louis to be with her mother. Not long after her mother also died. This was a very trying time for Kate.

Shortly after in 1888 Kate began her fiction-writing career. Her first story was published when she was thirty-nine. For fifteen years Kate wrote several short stories and poems. She then died in 1904. In her many years of writing Kate wrote many feminist point of views on being trapped or infidelity.

One of the many stories was " the story of the hour". The short story "the story of the hour" written by Kate Chopin was one of the most well known short stories of it's time". The story of the hour" is written from a feminist point of view on how feeling trapped in marriage can be over whelming. This story is about unexpected results when a wife discovers she is finally free. The short story "the story of the hour" starts out when Mrs. Mallard finds out from her sister that her husband has died in a train accident. Her husband's friend, Richard, heard the news when the News Paper office received it.

When Mrs. Mallard hears of the news she began to cry. After awhile of sitting their shocked and crying she went to her room to be alone. Up in her room she still continued to cry and get her self all worked up. Until she glanced out the window and realized she was " free".

She no longer had to live for her husband but she now only had to live and do for her self. She knew she still loved him but she was over whelmed by her newfound freedom. Since Mrs. Mallard had a heart disease her sister waited out side her door so she could keep an eye on her. Josephine called to her "don't worry everything will be fine" she tried to calm her sister so she wouldn't get all worked up and cause her heart to act up. Finally, after enough calming down Mrs. Mallard and Josephine went back down stairs. At that moment Mr. Mallard walked through the door.

He had not been in the accident nor did he know anything about it. Mrs. Mallard started to get all up set and began screaming. Richards held Mr. Mallard back as Mrs. Mallard collapsed. She had gotten all excited and worked up and that caused her heart to fail her.

That was what killed Mrs. Mallard. "The story of the hour " is one of Kate Chopin's best and well-known short stories. Her writing of "the story of the hour" Could have been influenced by many things such as, things that she faced as a child, the devastating death of her husband and mother, and also the way women where portrayed in the 19th century. First of all, "Kate's childhood experiences and bringing up may have influenced her writings". (web) In 1855, Thomas O'Flaherty died of a sudden UN known illness. At this time Kate was only five. At five years of age Kate had to reshape her self and the world around her", which at the time was largely revolved around the father being the head of the house hold".

(Website) After her father's death Kate's family included her, her widowed mother and grand ma, and her brothers and sisters, which all died during her childhood. Although as a child her house was full of people she still lacked something. The fatherly role, one begins to get a glimpse of what may have influenced Kate Chopin as a writer. The lack of a male role and men as being the central figure of her life as she matured. This lack would also prevent her from experiencing was a basic fundamental of her time... ". the tradition of submission of women to men in all social spheres, but especially in that of marriage". (web) Another aspect of Kate's life that may have influenced her work of the "the story of the hour" was her traumatic experiences of the death of her husband and mother. In 1882, Oscar (Kate's husband) died of a sudden illness.

Shortly after his death she moved back to St. Louis with her kids. She wanted to be near her family and friends but especially with her mother whom she had a very close relationship. Just a few short months later Kate's mother died. It is said" this was a very traumatic time for her losing the closest to her at the same time".

(Website) You can compare Kate's close personal relationship and abrupt death of illness with that of her characters in her work". Kate struggles with who and what she is as a person". (Website) This need for self-identifications and self-understanding was later transmitted to many of her stories including "the story of the hour". Just as she searched for her own role and identity during this time of her life, Mrs. Mallard also struggled with this when she found out of the sudden death of her husband. Finally, Kate living in the 19th century played a really big part on the way she wrote. In the late 19th century women did not have much say.

They were to submit fully to the men especially their husbands. In many of Kate's story's she seems to portray her characters feeling trapped in relationships. She must have felt that the women of the 19 the century felt that they were trapped and that there was no way out so instead of acting out on her feelings she just expressed it in her stories. In " the story of the hour" Kate Chopin Is careful to convey the problem in which women are unequal in the marital relationship. Chopin develops a careful plot in order to develop this. However, it was not sociably accepted at the end of the 19th century.

This story was not allowed to be published at the time Kate wrote it. However many years later it was. I have found that Kate Chopin's experiences in life did have a huge impact on her work. I have came to believe that her life did influence and contribute to the writing "the story of the hour". She has written many stories that come from a feminist point of view on feeling trapped and confused in a relationship. The Awakening, respectable women, and the story of the hour are just a few of the stories that portray women as being trapped and them trying to find an escape.

These stories are still popular today and women actual relate with the stories. Work Cited Syersted, Per. A critical Biography of Kate Chopin. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press 1985 Syersted, Per.

Introduction. Complete works of Kate Chopin, Vol. 1. BY Kate Chopin. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP. 1969". Story of an Hour" Short Fiction: Classic and Contemporary.

5th ed. Ed. Charles Bonner. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2002".

Biography of Kate Chopin" web.