The theme of “The Wife” by Emily Dickinson relates to Miss Mallard’s emotional state in “The Story of the Hour” by Kate Chopin, in that it outlines what society expects of women in her time. Miss Mallard plays the role of the dutiful wife as she hears news of her husband’s death and mourns his passing. This theme is shown in the line “To take the honorable work / Of woman and of wife.” (Dickinson)
After her initial grief, she then reflects upon her newly found freedom, and her emotional state goes from sorrow to joy at having been freed from her duties as a wife. “If aught she missed in her new day” and “It lay unmentioned, as the sea” (Dickinson) shows that a woman may have hidden feelings of longing for the things that she has to give up to serve her husband, and it would not be surprising if this lead to feelings of resentment. Being liberated from such a burden would naturally lead to feelings of joy.
3 thoughts on “Siu Kwan Eddie Tsui Discussion 9”
Hi Siu Kwan, I agree that Dickinson’s line “it lay unmentioned, as the sea” refers to how a woman’s potential unhappiness with being confined to her home is brushed over and ignored completely. There were definitely feelings of resentment present, as she had only loved him back sometimes, but not often. I love the words you used, ” being liberated from such a burden;” they really evoke that feeling of freedom.
Hi Siu Kwan, I completely agree with what you said about the woman’s potential unhappiness with being confined to her home is brushed over and ignored completely. there are feeling very unhappy and nondependent in their lives being married as she love him and didn’t love him I love the words you used, ” being liberated from such a burden;” they really evoke that feeling of freedom.
Siu Kwan, I think what you write here makes sense—that the experience of being repressed might lead to resentment, and a natural response to liberation from that oppression might bring joy, as we see in the story. It is always interesting to me that Mrs. Mallard has never confronted her own buried feelings. She is frightened by them as she sits in the chair by the window and the feelings begin to take hold.