Marisa Cuni

How the Theme of Emily Dickson’s Poem “The Wife” Relates to Mrs. Mallard Emotional State in “The Story of An Hour.”

The poem “The Wife” by Emily Dickson is about women and marriage. The poem illustrates a woman’s emotional and behavioral state as she prepares to marry. It delves into the sacrifices, adjustments, and the social perceptions associated with a woman marrying. “The story of an hour” examines a woman’s feelings following the death of her husband (Paul, 2019). Kate Chopin, the author, exemplifies the violation of a woman’s independence through her range of emotions. Both of these works are primarily concerned with marriage. More precisely, the position of a woman in marriage. This paper will discuss the feminism and inequality issues that are prevalent in “The Wife” and relate to “The Story of An Hour.”
As represented in “The Wife,” a woman’s responsibility in marriage is to accommodate her husband’s wants. “She met his expectations,” the author writes. The statement depicts the guy as the dominant figure, with the woman serving only to do his bidding (Ayothi, 2017). Mrs. Mallard, on the other hand, is depicted as gaining independence as demonstrated by her feelings. She is torn between sadness and relief. The writer’s phrase, “her life would be her own,” demonstrates how powerless the woman was in marriage.
Womanhood is devalued in society. The poem refers to a woman’s unmarried actions as “playthings.” Without a husband, a woman is believed to be losing her value. “In usage wore away,” the writer writes, illustrating how easily a woman’s worth is disregarded. It is evident from “The Story of An Hour” that society does not comprehend Mrs. Ballard’s plight (Paul, 2019). The poem concludes with the phrase “it lay unmentioned, as the sea,” emphasizing how ineffective the woman of no value is.