I was surprised by two things in “Story of An Hour.” The first is Mrs. Mallard whispering “freedom” to herself after sobbing when hearing her husband has passed away. I was taken aback by this unexpected change of emotions. The other section that surprised me is the end when Mr. Mallard winds up being alive. That was completely unexpected! I was intrigued and entertained by the irony in “Story of An Hour” and “The Necklace.” These stories use humor to deal with underlying themes; patriarchy in “Story of An Hour” and class differences in “The Necklace.” I found it clever that Guy de Maupassant decided to make Madame Forestier’s necklace fake, ultimately making a statement of how artificial the wealthy world is. I am puzzled by female authors who contributed to sexist ideas in the various female lifestyle magazines quoted in the article “The Cult of True Womanhood,” like Mrs. A. J. Graves and Fanny Forester. How can they just blindly follow this strict description of what being a woman is? Not only adhere to this submissive role, but to reinforce it. It is so hypocritical to write an article for a publication that will publish another article on how women need no education other than religion.
Daily Archives: March 20, 2023
What surprised me about this story was that Madame Forestier said at the end that her necklace was fake. It was worth at the very most five hundred francs. the couple had worked hard and lived in poverty for ten years to buy the necklace. Little did they know that it was just a fake. What intrigued me about this story was that when the necklace was lost, I was curious to know what the couple would do. How do they compensate for this expensive necklace for them. What confused me was the fact that the heroine was a very vain person. She thinks she was born to have expensive jewelry and live a good life. Mathilde spends all her time doing heavy housework. she is no longer as beautiful as before, she looks like other women from poor families. Ten years passed in this way.
I was very surprised by the end of the necklace. It is comical that this couple dedicated their life to this task of replacing the necklace only to discover it was a fake. All the effort was for nothing. It ended up being a sad ending to a sad story. What intrigued me was that I see so many examples of this in today’s society. People strive to acquire material things, trying to convey an image of success. The reality is the celebrities or influencers that people look up to have a carefully curated image that in most cases are unattainable. The fact that this story highlights the same social economic views is astonishing to me. Classic example of keeping up with the Joneses. The Irony is in this frivolous pursuit, the the couple lost themselves, which to me resonates with todays society. What puzzled me is how much we as a society still cling to the gender roles described in the lecture on the “Cult of Domesticity”. Many current roles that women are expected to fulfill are derived from these principles established in the 19th century. However there is hope that peoples (men and women) views are changing.
“If aught she missed in her new day Of amplitude, or awe, Or first prospective, or the gold In using wore away” Mrs. Mallard, in fact, is full of dreams and hopes. Moreover, dreams are not about something specific, because it doesn’t matter what it will be: gold, prospects, position in society, but rather about choosing what to dream about. That she can do something without looking at her husband and society, decide for herself where to go and who to be. “Freedom, freedom,” she whispers, long-awaited freedom. “Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own. She rejoices simply in the fact that, from now on, she is free, and no matter what the days are, the main thing is that now they are only hers. “It lay unmentioned, as the sea Develops pearl and weed” All the feelings that burst out at once lay deep at the bottom of her soul, under the pressure of the norms of society, and the power of her husband. However, his death in a storm brings all the “pearls and weed” out. She is happy. We can see the parallel of the environment and its feelings. In the spring, all living things begin to live anew, and bloom. She also looks to the future in anticipation of a new life. “But only to himself is known The fathoms they abide” Through the dramatic irony of the last sentence, we see that no one guesses what was in her soul, what kind of person she really is. Because no one cares, generally. Since a woman is only an object in the cult of womanhood, having only a number of utilitarian functions. Having escaped from the dungeon […]
