Kate Chopin

Kate Chopin

Introduction

Marriage , as an institution , facilitates the union of man and woman enabling them to raise a family . The human need of seeking love and affection is satisfied by the relation of matrimony . The wellbeing and happiness of the family depends equally on the man and the woman . But this equality is imperceptible in married relations , even in the modern society . The woman always compromises for the sake of her family and abandons her freedom . The married woman is expected to repress her feelings and behave in a manner

which is expected by the society . Kate Chopin , a feminist author has depicted married women in her works in a way which defies the norms of the society . Her short stories , The Story of an Hour ' and The Storm ' depict married woman who desire to liberate themselves from the constraints of society and marriage . The protagonists of the story The Story of an Hour , Mrs . Mallard and The Storm , seek to fulfill their desire of freedom . Mrs . Mallard succeeds in finding this freedom only after the death of her husband while Calixta gives in to her desire while her husband is living with her

The Story of an Hour

In the story , The Story of an Hour , the protagonist is Mrs . Louise Mallard , a middle-aged woman who reacts to the death of her husband in a contrasting manner . First she mourns but when she realizes that she is free to lead life according to her wishes , she feels relieved...