Joseph D.
Compare and Contrast The Joy that Kills to The Story of an Hour
The Joy that Kills and The Story of an Hour have many similarities, as well as differences. While
some of these are quite obvious, others are not so well seen.
They are both similar in several ways. For example, not only do they both have basic plot
similarities (the news of the death, the “freedom” speech,) but they also have minimal amounts of
dialogue. Secondly, in the end, the husband lives, but the appearance of him causes someone to die,
probably because they have some sort of heart condition. Another similarity they have is the freedom is
short lived, and both women are oppressed by marriage/the husband. Finally, the window that is
opened is symbolic because it seems to whisper to the dynamic character (Mrs. Mallard): “freedom,
freedom.” Overall, both stories have many similarities as described above, but yet there are differences
too.
Though similar, The Story of an Hour and The Joy that Kills are quite different. Firstly, the time
period is completely off by a full century. While there are modern cars in The Story of an Hour, there is
no mention of cars in The Joy that Kills. On top of that, apparently, Elizabeth is a single child, while her
counterpart is not. Thirdly, there are flashbacks in The Joy that Kills. There flashbacks come in the form
of an abusive husband. In The Story of an Hour, the husband is not an angel or a jerk, but is neutral. In
conclusion, there are huge differences between both stories, though the largest one is the abusive
husband, and the not so abusive husband.
Though many similarities and differences are found in this essay, there are still more to be found
when the source material is read again. For one cannot be sure they found everything in a story that can
be interpreted differently depending on the person reading it.