Emily Dickinson’s The Wife details a woman’s journey as she follows society’s expectations and takes on the role and responsibilities of a wife. A woman abandons her own desires and aspirations and fulfills her expected duties. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” features Mrs. Mallard, a woman with problems with her heart and learns of her husband’s presumed death. She experiences a fleeting sense of freedom in place of her lingering sadness and envisions a future for herself in which she can live for herself. In conclusion, Emily Dickinson’s The Wife and Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour both explore the norms of marriage and the role of women in the 19th century. Chopin’s story depicts Louise Marard, who, after mourning the death of her husband for a while, feels an unexpected sense of freedom and opens her heart to a life free from the constraints of her marriage and society. Her reflections resonate with the message of Dickinson’s poetry, which expresses the hidden conflicts and repressed desires of a woman who conforms to the expectations of her marital life. However, Louise’s newfound freedom does not last long, as her husband’s unexpected return leads to Louise’s sudden death, depicting the tragic irony of her fleeting liberation. .
2 thoughts on “Yuki Ichiki Discussion4”
Hello Yuki,
I agree with the summary that you made of the reading and the poem. And your reflection on the complexity of the problem women faced in the 19th century. A lot of women back then married with no love and sacrificing their liberty. The good thing is that now is a little different.
I like your input and I agree. Mrs. Mallard first views independence as an awful thing since she is so restricted by her husband, her failing heart, and even her own house, where she stays throughout the story. She does, however, have a great deal of independence as an upper-class, married woman. She knows she will soon be free, and she fears it. But when it does, she is overcome with overwhelming ecstasy. She is basically stuck in a room, yet she still feels this mental and emotional freedom. The freedom she had just started to comprehend is ripped away from her the moment she exits that room. The poetry relates as well because of the role of women.