Joshua Paschall

4th Period

Marriage is a fickle thing that requires a good understanding of each other’s wishes and

perspectives. However, such an understanding isn’t always established within a marriage. Both

Their Eyes Were Watching God and “The Story of an Hour” show instances of less than ideal

marriages. These stories also have aspects that make them different in the telling of these

marriages. The overall premise of both stories have a similar of underlying message within the

telling of two women who are not in the best marriages with their husbands.

In both stories, there’s an overarching theme of independence that both women desire,

even if they don’t know it in the beginning. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie is shown

not to be saddened by the death of her husband, Jody. Instead she “tore off the kerchief from her

head and let down her plentiful hair. The weight, the length, the glory was there.” Jody had

always reminded her that she wasn’t a young girl anymore, but instead she realized that she was

a “handsome woman” upon his death. She relished in the fact that “she would have the rest of

her life to do as she pleased.” A similar realization was made in “The Story of an Hour” by

Louise when she thought her husband was dead. When Mr. Mallard is presumed dead, Louise

reacts with obvious grief, however she soon begins to realize that she is now an independent

woman. Knowing that her husband is dead, “She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long.

It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long.” The shudder is the

feeling of her angst, but now she is free and independent and her life is suddenly worth living.

Where she once hoped life would be short, she now prays for a long, happy life. Both women
experienced some type of relief or excitement from the deaths of their husbands, knowing that

they have no one oppressing them anymore.

Additionally, both women express a sense of being oppressed while in their marriages. In

Their Eyes Were Watching God, Jody was shown to both physically and mentally abusive

towards Janie. This is shown when “he struck Janie with all his might” after she finally stood up

for herself when she was disrespected in their store. His mentally abuse shows when he tells her,

“T’ain’t no use in getting’ mad, Janie, ‘cause Ah mention you ain’t no young gal no mo’.” Jody

seemed to almost comment about how old she was in an attempt to distract everyone from who

old he was getting. A similar but less intense situation is expressed in “The Story of an Hour.”

Upon Mr. Mallard’s death, Louise told herself that “she had loved him--sometimes. Often she

had not.” This shows that she had some type of resentment towards him for whatever reason and

wasn’t truly happy in her relationship.

Both marriages were delineated to be not the best of marriages and both wives confess

that upon the husbands’ deaths. Their Eyes Were Watching God and “The Story of an Hour,” tell

stories of two women who feel some form of oppression from husbands and don’t truly

understand their self-worth until their husbands’ deaths. These stories have similar aspects of

each other that discuss the situations and feelings of women who are in oppressive relationships.