Genres & Literary Time Periods Choose and read one of the literary works from one of the four genres provided in your textbook. If you have read it before, re-read it through the lens of what yo

5.2: Chopin, Kate "The Story of an Hour" (1894)

The Story of an Hour

K now in g t h at M rs . M alla rd w as a ff lic te d w ith a h eart t r o ub le , g re at c are w as t a k en t o b re ak t o h er a s g en tly a s p ossib le t h e n ew s o f h er h usb an d's

d eath .

It w as h er s is te r J o se p hin e w ho to ld h er, in b ro ken s e n te n ces; v eile d h in ts th at re v eale d in h alf c o ncealin g. H er h usb an d's frie n d R ic h ard s w as

th ere , t o o, n ear h er. I t w as h e w ho h ad b een i n t h e n ew sp ap er o ff ic e w hen i n te llig en ce o f t h e r a ilr o ad d is a ste r w as r e c eiv ed , w ith B re n tly M alla rd 's

n am e le a d in g th e lis t o f " k ille d ." H e h ad o nly ta k en th e tim e to a ssu re h im se lf o f its tr u th b y a s e co nd te le g ra m , a n d h ad h aste n ed to f o re sta ll a n y

le ss c are fu l, l e ss t e n der f rie n d i n b earin g t h e s a d m essa g e.

S he d id n ot h ear th e s to ry a s m an y w om en h av e h eard th e s a m e, w ith a p ara ly zed in ab ility to a ccep t its s ig nif ic an ce. S he w ep t a t o nce , w ith

s u dden , w ild a b an donm en t, i n h er s is te r's a rm s. W hen t h e s to rm o f g rie f h ad s p en t i ts e lf s h e w en t a w ay t o h er r o om a lo ne. S he w ould h av e n o o ne

fo llo w h er.

T here s to od, f a cin g th e o pen w in dow , a c o m fo rta b le , r o om y a rm ch air. I n to th is s h e s a n k, p re sse d d ow n b y a p hysic a l e x hau stio n th at h au nte d h er

b ody a n d s e em ed t o r e ach i n to h er s o ul.

S he c o uld s e e i n t h e o pen s q uare b efo re h er h ouse t h e t o ps o f t r e es t h at w ere a ll a q uiv er w ith t h e n ew s p rin g l if e . T he d elic io us b re a th o f r a in w as

in th e a ir. I n th e s tr e et b elo w a p ed dle r w as c ry in g h is w are s. T he n ote s o f a d is ta n t s o ng w hic h s o m e o ne w as s in gin g r e a ch ed h er f a in tly , a n d

co untle ss s p arro w s w ere t w itte rin g i n t h e e av es.

T here w ere p atc h es o f b lu e s k y s h ow in g h ere a n d th ere th ro ugh th e c lo uds th at h ad m et a n d p ile d o ne a b ove th e o th er in th e w est fa cin g h er

w in dow .

She s a t w ith h er h ead th ro w n b ack u pon th e c u sh io n o f th e c h air , q uite m otio nle ss, e x cep t w hen a s o b c am e u p in to h er th ro at a n d s h ook h er, a s a

c h ild w ho h as c rie d i ts e lf t o s le ep c o ntin ues t o s o b i n i ts d re am s.

S he w as y oung, w ith a fa ir , c alm fa ce, w hose lin es b esp oke re p re ssio n a n d e v en a c erta in s tr e n gth . B ut n ow th ere w as a d ull s ta re in h er e y es,

w hose g aze w as f ix ed a w ay o ff y onder o n o ne o f th ose p atc h es o f b lu e s k y. I t w as n ot a g la n ce o f r e fle ctio n, b ut r a th er in dic ate d a s u sp en sio n o f

in te llig en t t h ought.

T here w as s o m eth in g c o m in g to h er a n d s h e w as w aitin g f o r it, f e arfu lly . W hat w as it? S he d id n ot k now ; it w as to o s u btle a n d e lu siv e to n am e.

B ut s h e f e lt i t, c re ep in g o ut o f t h e s k y, r e ach in g t o w ard h er t h ro ugh t h e s o unds, t h e s c en ts , t h e c o lo r t h at f ille d t h e a ir.

N ow h er b oso m r o se a n d f e ll t u m ultu ously . S he w as b eg in nin g t o r e co gniz e t h is t h in g t h at w as a p pro ach in g t o p osse ss h er, a n d s h e w as s tr iv in g t o

b eat it b ack w ith h er w ill- -a s p ow erle ss a s h er tw o w hite s le n der h an ds w ould h av e b een . W hen s h e a b an doned h ers e lf a little w his p ere d w ord

e sc ap ed h er s lig htly p arte d lip s. S he s a id it o ver a n d o ver u nder h te b re ath : " fre e, fre e, fre e!" T he v acan t s ta re a n d th e lo ok o f te rro r th at h ad

fo llo w ed it w en t f ro m h er e y es. T hey s ta y ed k een a n d b rig ht. H er p uls e s b eat f a st, a n d th e c o urs in g b lo od w arm ed a n d r e la x ed e v ery in ch o f h er

b ody.

S he d id n ot s to p t o a sk i f i t w ere o r w ere n ot a m onstr o us j o y t h at h eld h er. A c le ar a n d e x alte d p erc ep tio n e n ab le d h er t o d is m is s t h e s u ggestio n a s

tr iv ia l. S he k new th at s h e w ould w eep a g ain w hen s h e s a w th e k in d, te n der h an ds f o ld ed in d eath ; th e f a ce th at h ad n ev er lo oked s a v e w ith lo ve

upon h er, f ix ed a n d g ra y a n d d ead . B ut s h e s a w b ey ond t h at b itte r m om en t a l o ng p ro cessio n o f y ears t o c o m e t h at w ould b elo ng t o h er a b so lu te ly .

A nd s h e o pen ed a n d s p re ad h er a rm s o ut t o t h em i n w elc o m e.

T here w ould b e n o o ne to liv e f o r d urin g th ose c o m in g y ears ; s h e w ould liv e f o r h ers e lf . T here w ould b e n o p ow erfu l w ill b en din g h ers in th at

b lin d p ers is te n ce w ith w hic h m en a n d w om en b elie v e t h ey h av e a r ig ht t o i m pose a p riv ate w ill u pon a f e llo w -c re atu re . A k in d i n te n tio n o r a c ru el

in te n tio n m ad e t h e a ct s e em n o l e ss a c rim e a s s h e l o oked u pon i t i n t h at b rie f m om en t o f i llu m in atio n.

A nd y et s h e h ad l o ved h im --s o m etim es. O fte n s h e h ad n ot. W hat d id i t m atte r! W hat c o uld l o ve, t h e u nso lv ed m yste ry , c o unt f o r i n t h e f a c e o f t h is

p osse ssio n o f s e lf -a sse rtio n w hic h s h e s u dden ly r e co gniz ed a s t h e s tr o ngest i m puls e o f h er b ein g!

"F re e! B ody a n d s o ul f re e!" s h e k ep t w his p erin g.

Jo se p hin e w as k neelin g b efo re t h e c lo se d d oor w ith h er l ip s t o t h e k ey hold , i m plo rin g f o r a d m is sio n. " L ouis e , o pen t h e d oor! I b eg ; o pen t h e d oor-

- y ou w ill m ak e y ours e lf i ll. W hat a re y ou d oin g, L ouis e ? F or h eav en 's s a k e o pen t h e d oor."

" G o a w ay. I a m n ot m ak in g m yse lf i ll." N o; s h e w as d rin kin g i n a v ery e lix ir o f l if e t h ro ugh t h at o pen w in dow .

H er fa n cy w as ru nnin g rio t a lo ng th ose d ay s a h ead o f h er. S prin g d ay s, a n d s u m mer d ay s, a n d a ll s o rts o f d ay s th at w ould b e h er o w n. S he

bre ath ed a q uic k p ra y er t h at l if e m ig ht b e l o ng. I t w as o nly y este rd ay s h e h ad t h ought w ith a s h udder t h at l if e m ig ht b e l o ng.

S he a ro se a t l e n gth a n d o pen ed t h e d oor t o h er s is te r's i m portu nitie s. T here w as a f e v eris h t r iu m ph i n h er e y es, a n d s h e c arrie d h ers e lf u nw ittin gly

lik e a g oddess o f V ic to ry . S he c la sp ed h er s is te r's w ais t, a n d t o geth er t h ey d esc en ded t h e s ta ir s . R ic h ard s s to od w aitin g f o r t h em a t t h e b otto m .

Som e o ne w as o pen in g th e f ro nt d oor w ith a la tc h key. I t w as B re n tly M alla rd w ho e n te re d , a little tr a v el- s ta in ed , c o m pose d ly c arry in g h is g rip -

sa ck a n d u m bre lla . H e h ad b een f a r f ro m th e s c en e o f th e a ccid en t, a n d d id n ot e v en k now th ere h ad b een o ne. H e s to od a m azed a t J o se p hin e's

p ie rc in g c ry ; a t R ic h ard s' q uic k m otio n t o s c re en h im f ro m t h e v ie w o f h is w if e .

W hen t h e d octo rs c am e t h ey s a id s h e h ad d ie d o f h eart d is e ase --o f t h e j o y t h at k ills .

Exercise 5.2.1 5.2 . 2 http s://h um an.lib re te xts .o rg /@g o/p age/4 0409

Questions

1. W hat i s t h e s ig nif ic an ce o f M rs . M alla rd ’s “ h eart t r o uble ”?

2. W hat i s t h e s ig nif ic an ce o f f re ed om i n t h e s to ry ? H ow d oes t h e a u th or p ortr a y t h is i d ea?

3. D esc rib e M rs . M alla rd ’s r e actio n t o t h e d eath o f h er h usb an d. W hy d o y ou t h in k s h e f e els t h is w ay ?

4. W hat d oes R ic h ard s r e p re se n t i n t h e s to ry ?

5. W hat d oes J o se p hin e r e p re se n t i n t h e s to ry ?

6. W hat v ie w o f m arria g e i s p ortr a y ed i n t h e s to ry ? C an t h is v ie w s till a p ply t o day ?

7. D esc rib e M rs . M alla rd ’s j o urn ey i n t h e s to ry .

C ontr ib uto rs a nd A ttr ib u tio ns

Adap te d f ro m Accele ra te d E nglis h b y A sh le y P au l, l ic en se C C-B Y-S A

This p ag e title d 5.2 : C hopin , K ate " T he S to ry o f a n H our" (1 894) is s h are d u nder a C C B Y-N C 4.0 l ic en se a n d w as a u th ore d , re m ix ed , a n d/o r

cu ra te d b y H eath er R in go & A th en a K ash yap (A SC CC O pen E ducatio nal R eso urc es I n itia tiv e ) .