Essay on Setting in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour

Elements of Setting in Kate Chopins Short Story, The Story of an Hour Setting exists in every form of fiction, representing elements of time, place, and social context throughout the work. These elements can create particular moods, character qualities, or features of theme. Throughout Kate Chopins short story The Story of an Hour, differing amounts and types of the setting are revealed as the plot develops. This story deals with a young womans emotional state as she discovers her own independence in her husbands death, then her tragic discovery that he is actually alive. The constituents of setting reveal certain characteristics about the main character, Louise Mallard, and are functionally important to the story†¦show more content†¦The breath of rain seems to cleanse Louise as well, as she views this as a way to start her life afresh. In this story, the time of year somewhat symbolizes her own internal springtime, further developing the rationale behind her character. If this story took place in a different time of year, it would not be as coherent. There would be no explanation for Louises sudden attitude reversal from mourning to enlightened anticipation of the future. The Mallards house, the area where the entire action of the story takes place, is extremely significant in understanding the subtleties of the plot and characters. The house is two stories tall, with two main rooms shown in detail: the front parlor, which is downstairs, and Louises bedroom, upstairs. The two floors are significantly different, both in the mood and in the emotions brought out in each one. It is in the parlor that Louise first hears of her husbands death and later ultimately discovers that he lives. Yet she achieves true enlightenment and understanding upstairs, in her bedroom. The particular level of the house that Louise is in conveys certain emotions and reveals two different aspects of her character. Downstairs she is the good wife, mourning the loss of her husband at first and later swooning from what the doctors believe to be joy that kills (14). Downstairs she must act like the typical late-nineteenth-century woman, completelyShow MoreRelatedThe Guilt that Kills in Kate Chopin ´s The Story of an Hour568 Words   |  2 Pages The Guilt that Kills â€Å"The Story of an Hour† (Chopin 353-354) by Kate Chopin, is a short story about a young lady, Louise Mallard, who has her life turned upside down in an elapsed time of an hour. Louise has just been informed of her husband, Brently’s, death due to a railroad disaster. Louise has heart trouble and this tragic news begins to take a toll on her. Louise’s sister, Josephine, is aware of her heart trouble so naturally becomes concerned when Louise starts to sob and locks herselfRead MoreStory of an Hour by Lawrence L. Berkove3379 Words   |  14 PagesLawrence L. 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