Literature-Review-of-The-Story-of-an-Hour

LiteratureReviewofTheStoryofanHourTheStoryofanHourisgenerallyacclaimedasoneofChopin’sbest-knownstories.TheStoryofanHourissetinthelatenineteenthcenturyinthehomeofLouiseMallard.Thefriendofherhusband,Richards,receivesareportthatherhusband,BrentlyMallard,hasdiedinarailroaddisaster.HetellsLouise'ssister,Josephine,ofBrently'sdeath,andaccompaniesJosephinetoLouise'shome.LouisehasahearttroubleandthereforehersisterJosephinetriestoinformherofthesadnewssoftly.Uponhearingthenews,Louisebeginsweepingandgoesupstairstobealoneinherroom,whereshefeelsecstaticwithhernewfoundsenseoffreedom.Thenshereluctantlyopensthedoor,andgoesdownstairswithJosephine.Richardsstandswaitingwhilethefrontdoorunexpectedlyopens,andBrentlycomesin.Butitistoolate.DoctorsarriveanddeterminethatLouisediedofaheartdiseasebroughtonbyjoy.Thisshortstoryhasbeenthesubjectofheateddebate.Anumberofcritics,writers,andscholars,havetriedtoexplorethemeaningsofthestoryfromvariousapproaches.Firstly,mostofthemarepayingheedtothefeministideainthestory.InthebookWomenandFiction：ShortStoriesByandAboutWomen,Cahillcallsthestory“oneoffeminism’ssacredtexts”.SheconcludesthatChopin’syearningforfreedomthroughhersenseofambiguityandhercomplexwayofseeinglife.AndanotherscholarnamedPapkeconsidersthedarkeraspectsofChopin’svisionoffeminineidentityinVergingontheAbyss:ThesocialFictionofKateChopinandEdithWharton.Papkeargues,Chopinsuggeststhatthereisnohopeforindependent,unconventionalwomentosurviveinsociety.AChinesescholarnamedWangXudingarguesthatMrs.MallardisapioneeringfeministsearchingforselfhoodandfreedominhispaperFeminineSelf-assertionin“TheStoryofanHour”.WangprovesthatChopin’sexplorationoffeminineselfhoodandfreedomisvividlydisplayedinarichandcolorfulliterarystyle.AndthereisanotherscholarnamedNiXiaoju.Proceedingfromtheperspectiveofthefeminism,shethinksMrs.Mallardexperiencesherimaginedindependenceatthepriceofherlife.Butshehastocontinuesufferingfromtheinherentoppressivenessfrommarriage.Mrs.Mallardislongingforfreedomandlife,butmarriagewillstillbeacageforher.Besides,thoseexpertsalsoanalyzethenovelfromitsnarrativeperspective.DuRongfangextendsthediscussionfromtheperspectiveofspatialnarrationintheshortstory.Dumaintainsthe“sealed”specialstructuremakesthestoryclearonthewhole,whiletheheroine'sinteriormonologuemakesthestorymoreopen.InAnAffectiveStylist’sReadingofKateChopin’s“storyofanhour”,Minerfocusesontheuseofthepassivevoice.ShepointsoutthatMrs.Mallarddoesnotpossessbutis“possessedbyherimpulses.ForMiner,althoughthereadermaywishtoidentifywithMrs.Mallard’spossessionofself,thelanguageofthestorykeepsthereaderdistanced.Whatismore,somescholarsfocusontherhetoricaldevicesinthisshortstory.CaoYuqininherpaperAnalysisofThestoryofanHourpointsouttheimportanceofironyandsymbolisminthisstory.Shethinksironyisemployedmanytimesanditmakesthestoryvividlyandhelpsreadersknowtherealmeanings.Andwriteralsothinksthelivingroom,thedoor,thewindowandevenMrs.Mallard’sdeathallhavetheirspecificsymbolicmeanings.AnotherscholarnamedHouYinhuahassimilaridea.Shethinksintheshortstory,theauthorusesmanyliteraryelementstodescribethecharacters,especiallytheironyandimagery.Itdescribesthestorminsidetheheroineandtorevealthemisfortuneandcertaindestiny,consequentlyrepudiateinequalitybetweenmenandwomeninthesocietyinthelate19thcentury.Ofcourse,therearesomeotherresearchdirectionstoanalyzethestory.LiJuanpublishesapapertoanalyzetheminorcharactersthatshowacontrastwiththeprotagonist,whichreflectsChopin’sconcernonthepredicamentofwomen’slongingforfreedominthelate19thcenturyofAmerica.Andsomescholarschoosetocomparedifferentversionsofthisstorytopresentshowimportantidiomaticandlanguageisincourseoftranslation.