Women’s role in 19th Century society
...dual to someone who has just gained a sense of self. Mrs. Mallard started looking into the future, a future that she would live for herself: "She saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And then she opened and spread out her arms out to them in welcome." When Mrs. Mallard discovers that her husband is indeed alive, she dies of heart disease. The doctor diagnosed her death as "a joy that kills", however one can assume her death was provoked by the realization that her newfound freedom was suddenly gone. In failing to condemn and even condoning Calixta's actions, as well acknowledging the existence and depth of sexual desire in women, Chopin imbues "The Storm" with a strong feminist tone and calls the very institution of marriage into question. The storm reaches a climax, which Calixta views as a delightful counterpart to their passionate love-making, for, "they did not heed the crashing torrents, and the roar of the elements made her laugh as she lay in his arms." To make the parallel between the storm and Alcee and Calixta's affair particularly evident, Chopin consistently uses this conceit until the end of the encounter, for the thunder fades away during Calixta and Alcee's drowsy trance following the climax, and the sun begins to shine as Alcee` departs. Both Calixta and Alcee` initiate and enjoy the experience with no sense of being overwhelmed by guilty consciences afterward. Chopin plays with this equalizing of gender roles in the diction and symbolic language in her description of this affair. An example of this would be when she writes, "The generous abundance of her passion...was like a white flame which penetrated and found response in depths of his own sensuous nature that had never yet been reached." Chopin not only questions traditional gender roles and challenges the repression of female sexuality; she even dares to undermine the institution of marriage. She writes of Calixta during her sexual encounter with Alcee`: "Her firm elastic flesh that was knowing for the first time its birthright, was like a creamy lily that the sun invites to contribute its breath and perfume to the undying life of the world.” This statement suggests that Calixta's married life with her husband is less than satisfactory. If Calixta is consequently unsatisfied in her marriage but enjoys this exciting and fulfilling encounter outside of marriage, what is Chopin trying to say about marriage itself? Conceivably it’s an abnormal arrangement, and one that limits women's opportunities for fulfillment, not only sexually but also implicitly in other areas of life as well. Chopin was a writer who was not afraid to write about the world as it really was. Her writings do more than just tell a story. The reactions to her writing give us an impression of the way life was when the critics read her stories. As the reactions changed through the decades, the morals of society and the society itself changed. Looking back on critics' changing views, from outrage to admiration, it is easy to see how far this nation has come. The Story of an Hour is written in April 19, 1894. The setting of the story is in America in the 1890s. In the 19th century, women were almost totally dominated by their husbands. A woman's duties were limited to cooking, child rearing, and home management. Women lived only to please their husbands. Chopin and Mrs. Mallard refuse to comply with this stereotype. Chopin writes The Story of an Hour in an impartial omniscient tone. Her tone regarding each character is indifferent as she brilliantly narrates a story of a woman, Mrs. Mallar...