Her Internal Conflict- A Response to "The Story of an Hour"
Kate Chopin's visionary short story walks you into a sense of reluctance and internal conflict within the mind of a woman torn by her social constraints-- all stemming from the death of a husband. "The Story of an Hour" weaves through the conflicted emotions of a woman living in the early stages of feminism. Now, this topic of feminism has always been quite interesting to me-- its origins, its historical impact, and how exactly has the feminist movement been received-- both from women and the world. Miss Mallard seems to be enthralled by the idea of pursuing and leading a more individualized life. Miss Mallard is at odds with how she is supposed to feel, how she's supposed to act in accordance to the expectations laid upon a widow. But her inner desire to be freed from that structured facade leads her to feel differently. The line we walk-- that is, the plot-- we witness Miss Mallard being e xorcised out of that false preset by the ...