Annotated Bibliography: Chopin

Blackstone, William. “Women and the Law in Victorian England – the Victorian City.”

Victoriancity.wp.st-Andrews.ac.uk, 1 July 2019,

victoriancity.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/women-and-the-law-in-victorian-england/.

According to Sir William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, a woman's "very

being or legal existence is suspended or at least is absorbed or merged into that of her husband."

For example, one theory suggests that the phrase "by marriage" means that "the husband and

wife are one person in law; that is, the whole existence of the woman is suspended throughout

her marriage, or at the very least, is blended into that of her husband." Lawmakers in Victorian

era England passed anti-coverture legislation in response to the practice of mandating that

married women wear veils. When a woman gets married, she gives up certain personal autonomy

and legal protections.

Chopin, Kate. “‘The Story of an Hour.’” Vcu.edu, 1894,

archive.vcu.edu/english/engweb/webtexts/hour/.

Character Louise Mallard in "The Story of an Hour" was deeply touched by Brently's death. The

tragic news that their brother was murdered in a train accident is broken to Louise by her sister

Josephine. After her husband dies, Louise goes to her room to grieve, but she soon finds she is

glad. Louise never felt resentment or animosity against her ex-husband, but now that he has

passed away, she can focus on her own goals. Her newfound optimism has given her such

indescribable joy that she "breathed a brief prayer that life could be lengthy." If Brently returns,

she will be waiting for him in the cellar. She didn't make it since the shock snuffed out any joy

she would have felt by unexpectedly meeting her husband or wife. The physicians said it was "of

the joy that kills" (a cardiac ailment), so she had to go.

Jamil, S. Selina. “Emotions in the Story of an Hour.” The Explicator, vol. 67, no. 3, Apr. 2009,

pp. 215–20, https://doi.org/10.3200/expl.67.3.215-220.

Ultimately, Chopin "intended to have her heroine perish," as Emily Toth puts it in her biography

of the author, Unveiling Kate Chopin. In an article for the year 2020, Cihan Yazg explains why

Chopin let Louise Mallard's sad events occur. Yang thinks the story can be understood by

applying Aristotle's formula and analyzing the text's style. He argues that without the tragedy,

Chopin would not have been able to make his readers care about Mrs. Mallard or critically

consider gender politics. Chopin excels at "revealing in half hiding," a technique that heightens

the impact of melancholy components. When you think about how long Mrs. Mallard suffered

from untreated anagnorisis, you'll begin to see the significance of this sentence. Professor of

English at Arizona State University Bert Bender claims that writers in the 1890s were affected

by Darwin's idea of sexual selection. As Chopin experienced the complexities of love, he became

more cynical. It is exemplified by Mrs. Mallard's skepticism and ultimate rejection of love.

Author Selina Jamil uses the word "heartbreaking" to describe Mrs. Mallard's sorrow

over the rumored death of her husband in her article titled "Emotions in 'The Story of an Hour.'"

Once upon a time, Mrs. Mallard was so uninterested in life that she questioned her entire

existence, as related by Jamil. Because of Mr. Mallard's efforts to "smother" and "mute" her,

Mrs. Mallard may be unable to express her true feelings. When her controlling husband finally

died, she finally felt free. Mrs. Mallard is first distraught by the news of her husband's death.

She's overjoyed and glad to have achieved independence (because she can finally devote her

attention to herself and her ambitions). If the ancient adage that "pleasure kills" is true, then Mrs.

Mallard's premature death could have been caused by her inability to voice her thoughts and

feelings.
Conclusion

We conclude that "The Story of an Hour" is analyzed from a psychological perspective. The

reader quickly learns from the beginning of Mrs. Mallard's story that Chopin has a heart

problem. Her family and friends struggled with the decision of whether or not to break the news

to her that her husband had passed away. The story's central subject is freedom, and that message

is hammered home throughout. Louise's initial grief over her husband's death gives way to a

growing appreciation for her newfound freedom.