Feminist literature, whether fiction or non-fiction, promotes feminist ideologies for the fair treatment of women. Women for a long time have been denied equal opportunities as those awarded to the male gender. A woman’s position in the society has always been perceived to be in the household or domestic sphere. As a result, they have different economic, political, civic, and social status compared to that of men. “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is an example of a story that is often considered a classic of feminist fiction. The story, which was first published in 1894, documents how women in the society have been oppressed and lacked freedom by the institution of marriage.
In the story, The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin uses the character, Mrs. Mallard, to illustrate how the institution of marriage leads to female oppression. Because of her marriage to Mr. Mallard, Mrs. Mallard has no freedom and suffers from a troubled heart. Mrs. Mallard is a representation of other women who are craving happiness and freedom rather than adhering to the rules of marriage. “The Story of an Hour” is considered as a classic of feminist fiction since Kate Chopin creates a movement that fights for the economic, educational, civic, and political rights for women. Women should be liberated from the forces of marriage that diminish their value.
The Story of an Hour as a Classic of Feminist Fiction
A classic of feminist fiction is the chronological narrative or fiction that fights for feminist goals for the women in the society. These female goals include defining, formulating, and protecting equal economic, political, social, and civil rights for the female gender. The main purpose of the feminist fiction is simply to free women from their different oppressions and placing them in equal positions as those of men in the society.
“The Story of an Hour” is an example of a feminist fiction that supports feminist goals. Kate Chopin mainly pays attention to how marriage has oppressed women and denied them their freedom. In her story, the American author attempts to show her marriage has played a repressive role in the lives of women. Instead of uplifting both men and women, it has continued to deny women the freedom to be themselves while allowing men to take the upper authority in the institution of marriage. The woman is continually perceived as a submissive dependent. The story is a feminist voice that attempts to bring to light the lives of women and the struggles they go through within the patriarchal system.
According to Sumer, “The Story of an Hour” exemplifies the cult of true womanhood. Sema further argues, ‘This ideology shaped the woman’s life from childhood to the grave, and made her life unbearable.’ (Sumer, 192). Because of the cult of true womanhood, any woman who wished to express themselves freely and live by their own thoughts ended up facing adverse consequences, such as death or madness. As a result, women did not have any independent identity of their own. Women’s identity was often associated with that of their male counterpart. For instance, the protagonist of the story, Mrs. Mallard, lacks her own independent identity. Kate Chopin first refers to her as the wife of Mr. Mallard. Sumner argues, ‘It emphasizes her identity as a dependent female.’(Sumer, 192). Sema’s argument illustrates how Mrs. Mallard’s identity and existence is in relation to the male gender. In addition, the word Mallard symbolizes a male version of a wild duck that is colorful while a female that is very submissive. The dictionary definition of the word Mallard implies a male-female relationship where the husband is in the upper authority while the wife is viewed as a submissive dependent. As a result, the identity of Mrs. Mallard is first as a wife and secondly as a subdued wife.
In addition, the word mallard used to refer to the protagonist in the story also symbolizes a person with two different mages. By referring to the main protagonist as Mrs. Mallard, it becomes clear that she has two images. She is guided by the society’s accepted traditions and standards and is a natural woman who possesses some sense of freedom. The society’s standards and traditions give her the identity Mrs. Mallard. Upon declaring her independence, she regains her freedom and is given the identity Louise.
Women in the society have been represented as weaker beings while men as stronger beings. Kate Chopin illustrates how the conventional society perceives women as being frail and weak. Mrs. Mallard’s heart trouble or heart disease symbolizes the perception of women held by the conventional society. Mrs. Mallard’s heart problem has become part and parcel of her mask. The heart problem symbolizes her emotional distress and dissatisfaction with life. In as much as she is capable of possessing stronger emotional experiences like the male gender, the society continues to view her as a weak person. The society’s perception of the women being frail and weak is further seen when the news of her husband, Mr. Mallard, is presented to her very gently.
The short story "The Story of an Hour" is considered a classic of feminist fiction due to the neutrality of time. The masculine time is the accepted form of temporality in the patriarchal society. According to Berenji, ’The point is the dominance of Mr. Mallard’s presence in the events despite the fact that he is dead. The only moments, Mrs. Mallard feels free to think about herself is in her room, and it is all her imagination of her future being free to live for herself.” (Berenji, 231). Berenji’s comment is important as it shows how masculine time is perceived to be the universal definition of time. In the story, Kate illustrates how women strive to remain relevant in their times while men are outrightly given the opportunity to be relevant at all times. Whenever there is a man, the woman is confined to their domestic sphere. For instance, Mrs. Mallard's sense of freedom only appears when Mr. Mallard is perceived to be dead. However, her sense of freedom immediately disappears when Mr. Mallard is present. Berenji further argues, ‘Consequently, the husband rules over the past, present, and the future, and the female character has no place in the territories dominated by the husband.’ (Berenji, 231). The hope of freedom only appears within a patriarchal system when the male gender disappears.
Conclusion
“The Story of an Hour” is an example of a classic feminist fiction. The author, Kate Chopin, defines, formulates, and establishes the feminist goals in the short story. Through the story, she hopes to fight for the equal economic, political, civil, and educational rights for women. The story illustrates how women are perceived to be weak and frail while men to be the upper authority in the society. Kate uses the concept of time to show how the masculine time is used as the universal definition of time. The sense of freedom of women disappears when men are present.
Works Cited
Berenji, Fahimeh. Time and Gender in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wall-Paper” and Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”. Journal of History Culture and Art Research. 221-234. 2013.
Sumer, Sema. “The Story of an Hour” or The Story of a Lost Lady in the Shadow of the Patriarchy’s Ideology. 192-196. 2012.
