The Story of the Hour Critical Essay
CRAIG MAY ENG125: Introduction to Literature Jennifer Chunn 22 MAR 2013 This is the first literature course I have ever taking in my academic career, the use of literature terms are one’s that I have never used before in work and school. In this paper, the literary approach is what I’m going to use for Kate Chopin’s on The Story of an Hour. The best definition I can give for literary approach is a literary approach is a way of looking at literature i. e. how you read a piece of literature.
This approach has interested me for this story and it will be the approach I will be using for it. When I read this story I found the use of the term persona used for it. This is when the teller of the story is referred into it or the narrator of the poem may or may not reflect the author point of view. This is the first look at Kate Chopin work that interested me by the introduction of her in the book. I thought that the persona was evident in this essay since she had dealt with a so many losses of love ones in her life. Ms.
Chopin had four siblings that had passed away before the age of 25 years old, which was not uncommon in that era due to the environment and health care system. After only being married to her husband for 12 years and having six children he passed away, which put a great deal of hardship in her life. With adversity like that you can go one of two ways; you can become angry and bitter or take it make an asset and better yourself as a person. When looking at this story it can be interpreted as their biographical or historical view.
The biographical view measures to see the extent of the ability to form the literary work into creative form. There have been various opinions if the biography of the writer should be counted toward the writers work, the literary work will be strengthen if the author works from biography view. I have not reviewed all of Ms Chopin work but in the case of The Story of the Hour, I get the feeling that it is in fact the case. After reading the story of Mrs. Mallard I found that it is not any different than Ms Chopin’s life story.
Both have dealt with the loss of brothers and sisters before the age of 25, the loss of a husband and the raising of six children in an era that oppressed women and their rights in society. She was one that stood up for herself and in that time she would be considered in a male dominated society to be somewhat of a rebel. In the story when realizing that she had loss her husband there was a sense of freedom for her that she had never had before in her life. Then there is the question if she ever loved her husband? That can go their way; you can love someone and still have a sense of freedom.
The historical view to me is not there other then the era in which the time happen. But the years that the Ms Chopin was alive is also time in which the railroad importance was at its highest. The death of any family member can be applied even today’s society. In conclusion I hope that I have hit the requirement of what I said I was going to achieve. The persona and literary are covered in the above paper. I did enjoy the story even that is was very sad one. Reference: Journey to Literature, R Wayne Clugston, Chapter 2, 2010.
