The Story of an Hour
By: Kate Chopin
About the Author
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Born February 8th 1850 in
St. Louis
After her father died when
she was a child, Chopin
developed a love for
reading
Read fairy tales, poetry,
allegories
Favorite authors include Sir
Walter Scott and Charles
Dickens
Moved to New Orleans after
marrying Oscar Chopin in
1870
More About the Author
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Oscar died and left Kate
with lots of debt in New
Orleans because of his
failed business investments
Kate and the children
moved to St. Louis at the
request of Kate’s mother
Shortly after moving to St.
Louis, Kate’s mother died
A doctor suggested that
writing would be
therapeutic, so Kate began
writing
Kate’s Work
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Kate began writing short
stories and periodicals for the
St. Louis Dispatch
She wrote her most famous
novel, The Awakening, in 1899
The Awakening was not an
instant success because of
Chopin’s literary style and
moral standards
After receiving criticism, Kate
turned to short stories and
wrote famous works such as
The Gentleman from New
Orleans and The Story of an
Hour
The Legacy of Kate Chopin
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Kate Chopin died in 1904 of
a brain hemorrhage
Some call Kate Chopin a
writer who was ahead of her
time
Her works concerning
feminism and the
emergence of women were
not received well by
everyone
Today, the work of Kate
Chopin is widely accepted
and studied
What else was happening…
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During the time when Kate
was writing, the Civil War in
the United States had
ended and the
Reconstruction period took
place
The call for equal black
rights continued from the
pre-Civil War days
Feminism began to get
more serious as strong
feminist leaders called for
women’s equality if blacks
were going to get it as well
A Closer Look at The Story of an Hour
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Breaking down the story:
 Exposition- News of Mr. Mallard's death arrives
 Inciting Incident- Mrs. Mallard is told about her husband's death
 Rising Action- Mrs. Mallard goes to her room to think about the
impact of her husband’s death, what it really means
 Climax- Mrs. Mallard realizes she is free; these feelings contrast
the expected feelings of sorrow and sadness
 Falling Action- Mrs. Mallard thinks about her new found freedom
and realizes that she had not always loved her husband
 Resolution- Mrs. Mallard sees Mr. Mallard as he walks through
the door, unharmed and very much alive
 Denouement- Mrs. Mallard's dies from heart disease, “of joy that
kills”
An even closer look at The Story of an
Hour
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The portrayal of women:
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Mrs. Mallard was a typical
woman of the time period.
Her marriage made her
much less independent and
took away her passion for
things
Her husband’s death
awakens her to an extent.
Mrs. Mallard realizes that
she is now “free” and
although she knows her
husband loved her, she
admits to not always loving
him
An even closer look at The Story of an
Hour
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The Metaphor:
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The window in which Mrs.
Mallard looks through when
she goes into her room to
think represents the
opportunities and freedom
she comes to expect
The more she thinks about
her husband’s death, the
more she realizes that the
death is a catalyst for
change in her life
She begins to expect a new
life like the one she used to
have
In Summary…
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The Story of an Hour was
written in 1894
The short story is a
naturalist piece of literature
Main theme: the
unexpected realization of a
woman’s freedom that
comes from the death of her
husband
Highlights the weak and
feeble portrayal of women
as well as the impact of
nature
Works Cited
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http://americanfiction.suite101.com
http://www.pbs.org/katechopin/chronology.ht
ml
www.articlemyriad.com/story_hour.htm
http://www.katechopin.org/
http://www.mydreamwedding.ca
http://www.solarcontrolfilms.biz
http://www.albalearning.com