Irony in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour Essays

Irony in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour A very dull and boring story can be made into a great story simply by adding in something that is unexpected to happen. When the unexpected is used in literature it is known as irony. An author uses irony to shock the reader by adding a twist to the story. The author of â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is Kate Chopin. Her use of irony in the story is incredibly done more than once. Irony is thinking or believing some event will happen but in return the unexpected or opposite occurs. Kate Chopin uses two types of irony in this short story. Situational irony refers to the opposite of what is supposed to happen, and dramatic irony occurs when the audience or reader knows something that the rest of the†¦show more content†¦Then the best usage of irony occurs. The reader sees the first reaction of Mrs. Mallard’s husbands death. Josephine would tell her the news and Mrs. Mallard takes it pretty hard. The author Kate Chopin lets us know that she seems to take Brently Mallards death pretty hard by the words â€Å"She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms.† (157) They see that she is weeping and she wants to be alone because she storms off to her room alone. (157) But then the reader reads â€Å"But now there was a dull stare in her eyes, whose gaze was fixed away off yonder on one of those patches of blue sky. It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought.† (157) This is telling the reader that Mrs. Mallard feels something that is coming to her. Then Mrs. Mallard says softly â€Å"free, free, free!† (157) This event could be both dramatic and situational. It could be dramatic because only the reader or audience knows the true feelings Mrs. Mallard has for her husband, while all of the characters are not in the room with her and do not know her true feelings. This excerpt of the small story could also be situational because most people would think that when a spouse would die, there would be grief and pain felt rather than joy of being free from her husband. Only the reader knows that this is not the case for Mrs. Mallard because she is feeling freedom and has her own soul back whichShow MoreRelated Irony in Kate Chopins Story of an Hour Essay796 Words   |  4 PagesIrony in Chopins Story of an Hour    Irony is a useful device for giving stories many unexpected twists and turns. In Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour, irony is used as an effective literary device. Situational irony is used to show the reader that what is expected to happen sometimes doesnt. Dramatic irony is used to clue the reader in on something that is happening that the characters in the story do not know about. Irony is used throughout Chopins The Story of an Hour throughRead More Contrast of Irony and Style in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour1411 Words   |  6 PagesContrast of Irony and Style in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kate Chopins use of irony in her short story, The Story of an Hour, stands in direct contrast to the subtle manner in which she tells the story. Strong use of irony in a short story yields more honesty in a character. She achieves this quality by immediately setting the premise, that Mrs. Mallards fragile health would ultimately lead to her demise, upon receiving the news of her husbands death. Before an immediate assumptionRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour And A Pair Of Silk Stockings By Kate Chopin1057 Words   |  5 Pagesliterary repertoire, or style, to appeal to the audience in which they are writing to. Kate Chopin is a well-known writer, known for her works that mainly focus around women and their expected roles in society. Chopin’s writings are often based on the effect that the turn of the century had on women, which she best expresses in her two short stories â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and â€Å"A Pair of Silk Stockings†. In both of the stories previousl y stated, the author gives the audience just enough background on theRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin862 Words   |  4 PagesFiction Analysis: The Story of an Hour Kate Chopin’s short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, is about one married woman’s true hidden feelings of being married in the 19th century. The story was published in 1894, a time where it was unacceptable for women to express their wants and needs as a woman. Women were not seen equal to men and did not have the same privileges as men such as voting. Therefore, some of her literary works were considered controversial. It wasn’t soon until the late 20 centuryRead Moreexemplification essay653 Words   |  3 PagesEssay Types of Irony Is it strange how love can be a source of happiness, but also cause a lot of pain? Yet people tend to search for love, and once these people find love it comes with both pleasure and ache. Irony plays a role in love because love is what people perceive as joy but also causes hurt, yet people still search for love. In Kate Chopin’s Story of an Hour, there are different forms of literary, situational, and dramatic irony used. The first type of irony which Kate Chopin uses isRead MoreThe Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin632 Words   |  3 Pages The term â€Å"irony† is not easy to define perhaps because it is largely misunderstood. For instance, there are some people who use the term â€Å"irony† interchangeably with â€Å"misfortune† or the term â€Å"ironic† with â€Å"cynical.† Oftentimes, literature is an excellent teacher about what certain terms mean. Indeed, Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and Edward Arlington Robinson’s â€Å"Miniver Cheevy† seem to provide excellent insight as to what â€Å"irony† truly means. In addition to these, scrutiny of Lawrence Berkove’sRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour Analysis1120 Words   |  5 Pagesuntil death should be a reaction of hurting and a change in the way one views the future. In â€Å"The Story of an Hour.† Kate Chopin’s makes use of irony to show how sometime s people do not show what they truly feel because most of ones feeling or reactions have already been predicted by others. In â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† the readers are introduced to a woman named Louise Mallard, which Kate Chopin’s informs over her â€Å"heart trouble† in the beginning to make the readers understand the position Mrs.Read MoreSymbolism In Kate Chopins The Story Of An Hour1013 Words   |  5 PagesWhile most of Kate Chopin’s short stories were well received, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† was originally rejected by publishers until 1894 when Vogue decided to publish the short story. However after her death most of Chopin’s work was forgotten, that was until the 1950s when her work again was recognized as insightful and moving, setting into motion a Kate Chopin revival which was both successful and remarkable (Biography). â€Å"The Story of an Hour† focuses on the liberation and new found freedom of a newlyRead MoreLouise Mallard’s Demise in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin600 Words   |  3 PagesLouise Mallardâ₠¬â„¢s Demise in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin Kate Chopin’s short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, is about a woman, named Louise Mallard, in the late 1800s who is told that her husband, Brently, has died in a railroad accident. Initially, Louise is surprised, distressed, and drowned in sorrow. After mourning the loss, the woman realizes that she is finally free and independent, and that the only person she has to live for is herself. She becomes overwhelmed with joy about her newRead MoreThe Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin Essay1528 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin is very intriguing, not only because of the emotional change Louise Mallard goes through the hour after her husband’s tragic death but also the way Chopin uses irony in the story. During this analysis of â€Å"The Story of an Hour† we will discuss the summary, plot, setting, tone, theme, point of view, emotions of Louise Mallard and other characters involved in the story. Chopin’s story uses the feelings of a married woman