Upon my initial reading of the story, I was taken aback by Mathilde and her husband’s extraordinary efforts to replace their misplaced necklace. It seemed unfathomable that they would choose to live in destitution for ten years simply to pay off this debt. As a result, I felt both shocked and empathetic towards these characters who were struggling with repayment. What added another layer of complexity was when it was eventually revealed that the original piece itself had been nothing more than an imitation – as Madame Forestier herself stated: “Oh, my poor Mathilde! But mine was imitation. It was worth at the very most five hundred francs!” This revelation left me feeling saddened at how easily avoidable all those twelve grueling years could have been on account of one mistake. The shift in Mathilde’s character piqued my interest. Observing her progression from a conceited and covetous woman to someone more resilient and resourceful was gripping. It was impressive how she persisted in repaying the debt even when challenged by adversity, which inspired me greatly. Nevertheless, I found myself baffled as to why she did not immediately confess to Madame Forestier about losing the necklace at hand – it made me wonder if pride or anxiety played into her judgment-making process significantly. As you delve through this story, myriad emotions will surface- ranging from awe-inspiring shock that could spark deep curiosity within oneself inducing thought-provoking conversation amongst peers making “The Necklace” quite an engaging read overall!
Daily Archives: March 26, 2023
“The Story Of An Hour” by Kate Chopin is a short story about a woman named Lousie Mallard who is informed of her husband’s death in a train accident. She is filled with grief and sadness but then experiences a sense of freedom when she realizes that she is now free of marriage and its burdens. However all of that would soon vanish as her husband shows up alive and well. This is the aspect of the story that includes all three of what surprised me,what intrigued me and what puzzled me. What surprised me is that the husband was alive after all because the introduction is when the audience first sees that the husband is dead so it was a very shocking plot twist in the end. What puzzled me is why was there false information regarding the husband’s death? How could the people identify that it was for sure him? “He had been far from the scene of the accident, and did not even know there had been one” (chopin 19) this quote is also what puzzles me. What was intriguing was the fact that she felt liberation and freedom from her husband’s death. I expected grief and mourn for a long time. But no. She felt free from the domination and controlling of her husband’s part of the marriage.
One thing that surprised me from the short poem “The Wife” by Emily Dickinson was how short the poem actually was but the message that it gave off in such little time left me a little baffled trying to think of a response for it. It hits on a topic of a women at the ready of her man for in any given moment she would drop everything for him. The same thing that surprised me was also what intrigued me in the language they use to describe her actions. “She rose to his requirement dropped the playthings of her life.” That metaphor gives me almost everything I need to get a sense in this story. She’s given up everything for her man but at what cost. The last part puzzled me as “But to himself is known the fathoms they abide.” I cannot decipher it to internalize its value at all. In the “Story of an Hour” The only thing that came as a Suprise was the woman actions after finding out her husband had died. The happiness could be covering something much deeper that hits only the surface, but it really made me think. Something that interested me was how the woman began to see two options be sad and sulk and grief or move on with a newfound freedom and opportunity.
The story I chose to write about is “Story of an Hour”. While reading this story, what really surprised me initially, is the fact that the woman showed emotions of happiness when she learned that her husband had died. Now, as a woman, I would personally feel devastated in this situation, so this was definitely a shocker. Considering the fact that she also had health issues, wouldn’t she want her life partner there with her? At first, I thought that maybe this was a coping mechanism because as humans, we all cope differently in all types of situations. But, as I continued reading, I realized that instead of a coping mechanism, this is really how she feels because at the end, when she learns that her husband is actually alive, she died from a heart attack. Basically, she died from shock. Again, as a female, you would assume that one would be happy but instead, she died. It was overall a shocker of a story.
