Imagery in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour.”

Julia McGrath

EL 2222-005: Women's Voices

Professor Schmermund

3 March, 2020

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Nature can visualize the emotions in a specific scene in any written work. Kate Chopin's short story "The Story of an Hour" uses the imagery of nature to portray the main character's emotions regarding her husband's unexpected death. The description of the sky and its changes show Mrs. Mallard's rapid change of emotions, while her ironic death showcases the imagery of her wanted freedom.

The weather's imagery allows for the readers to see and feel the misery that Mrs. Mallard first feels. When Mrs. Mallard hears that her husband has died by a railroad accident, nature is used to create the emotions that Mrs. Mallard is experiencing. Mrs. Mallard is sitting in her room, peering out the window: "she could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air [...]" (Chopin 386). The imagery written contributes to Mrs. Mallard's range of emotions. Using rain is excellent imagery because it shows the dread that Mrs. Mallard feels about hearing the terrible news: "She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister's arms" (Chopin 386). Mrs. Mallard is upset because she was dependent on her husband; it is evident that she is not independent. Mr. Mallard was her source of survival.

The sight of the sky and the mentioning of seasons indicate a new beginning. Chopin narrates, "there was a dull stare in her eyes, whose gaze was fixed away off yonder on one of those patches of blue sky. It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought" (386). The patches of the blue sky indicate that Mrs. Mallard is feeling peaceful through dull eyes that are shocked at the news of her husband's death. Soon after Mrs. Mallard feels the joy of being freed from her husband, her sister begins to worry about her. The text states, "[...] No; she was drinking in a very elixir of life through that empty door" (Chopin 387). The quote shows the rapid change of emotions that Mrs. Mallard feels. Mrs. Mallard peering out the window gives her a new beginning as her "elixir of life" (387) signifies that her life has changed for the better. Mrs. Mallard's husband no longer traps her.

Nature and the seasons are significant in any text because they sharpen the intentional emotions of the surrounding scene. Kate Chopin's short story, "The Story of an Hour," uses imagery to execute Mrs. Mallard's rapid exchange of emotions after her husband's perceived death. The use of the rain and the blue sky signify her sudden sadness, which later turns into victory. However, Mrs. Mallard's death is victorious as it shows the imagery of her long-awaiting freedom.

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Works Cited

Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." ​The Vintage Book of American Women Writers, ​edited by Elaine Showalter. First Vintage Books, 2011, pp. 385-88