Category: Short Essays

Introduction to Communication in “Speech Sounds”

Communication in “Speech Sounds” by Octavia Butler demonstrates that in the absence of communication, it is all chaos and disorder. Rye, the protagonist of the story, goes through a series of hassles, witnesses dispute in the bus when going to meet the children of her brother in Pasadena, and sees the constraints and consequences of “limited ability to communicate” (02). When the disputes do not end, she finds Obsidian. Finding him a positive person, she leaves with him for his home but on the way meets another accident where a woman happens to shoot Obsidian. She is then left with three children where she comes to know communication and becomes optimistic. Meanwhile, it is clear that the absence of communication in “Speech Sounds” leads to chaos and destruction though its reversal brings hope and the ability to resolve issues.

Lack of Communication in “Speech Sounds”

The lack of communication or better to say the absence of language creates chaos and destruction. Rye has experienced it when going down to Pasadena to meet the children of her brother. The disagreement between two young men on the bus shows her how the lack of ability to speak has affected the people. This causes a commotion in the bus and leads to more disputes and brawls. However, what she carefully observes during this entire episode is that people are unable to communicate. They are talking with fists and punches. Therefore, when she finds the Ford man, Obsidian signaling her, she uses her insight of identifying his good intentions and instantly moves out of this situation where she could have faced problems. Even here communication does not work as “She returned his gaze” when he gazes at her (02). Even the bearded man on the bus shows that he can only “shout in wordless anger” (03) which points to his inability to communicate. It means that lack of communication in “Speech Sounds”  has made characters such as Rye and the bearded man struggle to understand each other.

Understanding Communication in “Speech Sounds”

Lack of communication also means that it takes a long time for characters to understand each other. When Rye sees Obsidian, she does not understand his true intentions. She takes time in understanding him through his looks, his uniform, his ways of dealing with the situation, and with her. She identifies him after a while that as a left-hander he could be trustworthy. When she finally moves with him, their conversation through signals and motions, makes it possible for them to make love and move to some other place. However, it is another thing that Obsidian is killed on the way, but it gets clear that the ability to communicate works faster than the language of signs and moves. Although some signs are universal such as she “shook her head in a universally understood negative” though the man does not pay heed to it (04). This again points to the fact that Rye and Obsidian must struggle very hard to get to each other’s point, while conversation would have taken time shorter than the signals have taken. It also points out the fact that communication in “Speech Sounds”  means a civilized way of dealing with others.

Communication Means Civilization

The fact that communication means civilization becomes clear by the end of the story where Rye finds three children after Obsidian is killed. She is left with the children to take care of them. It is not clear how communication comes back to her after the children speak with each other for “She has lost reading and writing” after the outbreak of the illness (06). At this point, however, when she hears the children talking and the girl says to her to “Go away” she becomes rather startled. It immediately dawns upon her that she can also communicate and exclaims saying “Fluent speech” (11). Then she takes very little time in telling the boy that “It is all right” after she has introduced her as “I’m Valerie Rye” (11). It becomes clear at this moment how she has reacted to the speech sounds of the boy and the girl by making her own meaningful speech sounds regarding communication in “Speech Sounds”.

Conclusion

Concluding the argument, it can be stated that communication is and seems a gift for human beings. It points to the civilized ways of human beings to deal with each other. Rye shows that when there is a lack of communication, people often take up brawls and disputes. It also shows that lack of communication causes a delay in conveying the real meanings as it happens between her and Obsidian. She becomes hopeful when she finds that the children have the ability to communicate and that her ability has returned to her.

Works Cited

Butler, Octavia. “Speech Sounds.” Future-lives.net. Accessed 13 Mar. 2019.

Relevant Questions About Communication in “Speech Sounds”

1. How does the breakdown of communication in “Speech Sounds” by Octavia Butler reflect the broader themes of isolation and societal collapse?
2. In “Speech Sounds” by Octavia Butler, how do the characters’ struggles with communication highlight the fragility of human connection in a post-apocalyptic world?
3. What insights does Octavia Butler’s “Speech Sounds” offer into the essential role of communication in maintaining order, empathy, and understanding, and how is this significance emphasized throughout the story?

Introduction to Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil”

Critique and criticism of Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” is very strong though Nathaniel Hawthorne satirized it in “The Young Goodman Brown.” Yet, he has been singled out as the best one in a tone that is mild and the satire that is latent in sweet words. Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” revolves around the character of Reverend Father Hooper who wants to become an icon of religious piety. He wears a black veil to prove his piety to the world around him. However, it dawns upon him that this veil is serving a great purpose – hiding his true face from the people who also wear different masks in life. The speculation it stirs among the people ranges from his mysterious thinking to his mysterious life and his being a sinner, or having a sense of shame. Even it seems to some a “terrible thinking” (Hawthorne) though not when worn by women. The open and broadminded atmosphere of Milford suddenly erupts into abuzz on account of this fanciful idea of wearing a black veil and the speculations it causes reach his fiancé as well who meets him in her final meeting to entreat him to show her his face. However, Father Hooper does not budge and loses her. He continues with this mask, making the atmosphere more suspenseful and exciting until his end nears when he again tries to save his face and speaks that “every visage [has] a Black Veil” (Hawthorne) by which he means that all are sinners. Through his character and commentary of the other characters, picture of Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” show the Puritan’s belief about the existence of evil in the world but also demonstrates the belief that all people are sinners and that there is a constant conflict between good and evil.

Commentary on Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil”

The first point of argument about the commentary on Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is that he has presented the figure of Father Hooper to show how clergymen considered themselves superior to all others that “The first glimpse of the clergyman’s figure was single for the bell to cease its summons” (Hawthorne). Considering all others inferior in piety, he starts wearing a black veil which rather stirs serious rumors about his personality. In a way, he attempts to raise a curtain between himself and the outside world in an attempt to create an aura of his religiosity. In this connection, it seems correct that his assessment of the public reaction proved true in that several sinners “cried aloud for Father Hooper” (Hawthorne) and that it has transformed him into an “efficiency clergyman” – a post that he much desired (Hawthorne). In other words, both of these references show that he has created his aura of an efficient representative of God whose word is final for the salvation of all other sinners. This is the commentary on Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Hawthorne that evil exists in the world in the shape of everyone being a sinner. However, it is also interesting that this belief of a person about himself being a pious and another a sinner is at the heart of the Puritan dilemma.

Double-Faced People in Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil”

Hawthorne intends to show that every person has two faces; one is good to show to the people and the other is evil that he tries to hide. The dilemma of Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” is that clergymen often find themselves at odds when facing the common people whom they consider sinners.  This battle between the sinners and the pious seems to start very early when Father Hooper tries to separate himself from others by drawing a veil on his face. However, this battle continues only in rumors and the impacts that it has on the people. It reaches its peak when Elizabeth tries to ask the minister to come down from his pedestal of piety and remove that veil asking “What grievous affliction hath befallen thee” (Hawthorne). However, he is so much adamant that he does not budge from his stand and simply refuses her, entreating that she should not leave him. As a representative of the uncovered public, she, too, does not withdraw from her position and ultimately separation happens between the sinners Elizabeth is representing and him, the pious clergy community to whom Father Hooper is representing. This has been due to the differences drawn by Puritanism in the community to divide it on religious bases. The division in the community led to a war between the religious and the supposedly impious minds.

Public and Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil”

In fact, the minister has, from the very start, thought of other people as less pious and having drawn masks on their faces. Although it is not an open conflict, it has led to some type of friction between those who considered themselves pious such as the clergymen, and those who are the common people of Milford. Father Hooper here separated himself even from the clergymen and ended up creating conflictual relationships not only with the people but also with his religious counterparts. This tension between the people and Father Hooper has led to speculations between both parties; the father is generalizing all the people as sinners and masking their evil natures, and people are thinking of Father Hooper as a mystery. Elizabeth refuses to marry him on the same ground saying “Lift the veil but once, and look me in the face” (Hawthorne). The other conflict is between him and his counterparts that does not end even when Reverend Mr. Clark tries to remove his veil and Father Hooper springs up to stop him saying “on every visage a Black veil” (Hawthorne). In fact, this is the same wedge of rift created by Puritanism on which Hawthorne has built his commentary through Father Hooper and his veil.

Conclusion

Briefly stating it, Hawthorne has used not only the description and situation of Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” but also the characters to comment on the state of Puritanism and its impacts on dividing the people on religious lines, making them turn against each other merely on metaphysical thinking. The story has shown that it was thought that the world is full of evil and evil exists in the world. This has led the more religious people to think of other people as sinners, making them fear God and be obedient. It has also created a sort of war between the supposed pious and supposed sinners, making them stay at the mercy of the clergymen who consider them less pious. In the merrymaking world of Milford, the veil has torn apart all the notions of Puritanism and laid them bare for the people to see as given in the note about such clerical eccentricities.

Works Cited

1. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Minister’s Black Veil.” PDC. n. d. https://pdcrodas.webs.ull.es/fundamentos/HawthorneTheMinistersBlackVeil.pdf. Accessed 25 Sep. 2022.

Relevant Questions About Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil”

1. How does Puritanism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” influence the community’s perception of Reverend Hooper and his mysterious black veil?
2. In “The Minister’s Black Veil,” how does Nathaniel Hawthorne use Puritanism to explore the themes of sin, guilt, and judgment in the story?
3. What role does Puritanism play in shaping the social and moral context of “The Minister’s Black Veil,” and how does it contribute to the central conflict of the narrative?

Introduction to Identity in “The Story of an Hour”

Kate Chopin has been interpreted in several ways including the theme of “The Story of an Hour”, her representative short story. Having been raised as a girl with access to education better than other girls of her time, Kate Chopin wrote extensively about female oppression in a society where the domestic field was simply the domain of a woman, specifically a married woman, while the external world was the domain of men. However, her views were a bit broader than this simple social convention, for she not only was a deep observer of the female characters from her own family but also around her in society, when Puritanism was having a full hold on every aspect of life. The major conflict she highlighted about identity in “The Story of an Hour” and other short fiction is about “women torn between duty and desire” (Toth 1990) with underpinnings of identity recognition as compared to patriarchal domination. However, with it is the oppression of marriage and subsequent liberation that gives further power to a mother at home after the death of the male head of the family that Louise demonstrates in the story. There also is no indication in the story about Louise whether she is a mother or not. Papke notes in the introduction of her paper that there was the propagation of this concept that women are “lesser beings” dependent on men in every way and this concept has been institutionalized through social norms and conventions in marriage (Papke 1990). The sacred institution of marriage, as Kate Chopin, shows became a reason for the oppression, or at least women with intellectual capability used to think it so as does Louise when she sees the possibility of freedom from this bondage. This situation put women as subordinate to men, which sometimes seems a sort of permanent incarceration. Therefore, identity in “The Story of an Hour” is not only a theme within a patriarchal society but also the story highlights the oppression of marriage and the desire for liberation on the part of women. However, with it is also interlined the assertion of the female identity.

Feminism and Identity in “The Story of an Hour”

In the age torn between approach French intellectual inquiry and Puritan thoughts, Kate Chopin stood upright for feminism, when a woman was judged on the basis of four virtues, “piety, purity, submissiveness and domesticity” (Barbara 373). These qualities were used to outline her role as a wife, mother,  sister, or daughter. And no other role was acceptable from the view of those social norms as well as religious beliefs. However, within those social restrictions, Kate Chopin was able to assert her feminine individuality but was also able to reach out for power and happiness. This is the first sign of identity in “The Story of an Hour”. The patriarchal society carved a niche for the women through cautious interpretation of the religious as well social concepts that she could have best conformed had she stayed limited to her role at home. There are ample evidences in “The Story of an Hour” regarding patriarchal dominance and the assertion of feminism. It is only a woman, who can understand the predicament of another woman whose husband has just passed away in an accident and none could better announce it other than a real sister. Yet, in this situation, a male member is required. When Josephine tells her sister the news of the death of Brently, “Her Husband’s friend Richard was there, too, near her” (Chopin) so that he could take care of her. However, the “wild abandonment” (Chopin) with which she hears the news and calms down after a sudden drift of cries, shows that she was seeing something in the future where she would not have the dominance of a male at home. At least, she has an opportunity to assert her identity without the domination of her husband “She could see in the open square” (Chopin) the identity coming to her as “something” (Chopin). Although this thought of “Free, Body and soul free” (Chopin) clearly points to her thinking about her identity coming out through the male domination, yet as a submissive woman, with the habit of accepting the dominance of Brently, she “had loved him” (Chopin). This oscillation starts creating a sort of conflict in her mind between her freedom of having a full feminine identity and power and as a domestic lady. This conflict continued until it reached its peak at the end where she was at the pinnacle of “joy” (Chopin) which ultimately led to her death.

Identity in “The Story of an Hour” and Kate Chopin

The biographical sketch painted by Emily Toth in her book about Kate Chopin states that this story could be read as an illustration of her mother’s marriage. This means she has a firsthand experience of marriage and oppression that leads a woman into depression and anxiety. It also means loss of identity as she points identity in “The Story of an Hour”. Kate Chopin witnessed the submission of her own mother to the will of her father, which led to her rebellion or at least expression of rebellion against this institution. It could be that she considered this as “an institution that traps women” (Toth 10). There are ample similarities in the names she uses in “The Story of an Hour.” It is also that the setting she created also led to criticism that it is similar to the marriage she witnessed at her own home. Although certain facts differ in the story and the real life of her mother, it is stated by her biographer Toth that she had “to disguise reality” (Toth 16) which she ultimately exposed in this story. Louise, when realizes that she is now free from the bond of marriage and oppression, sees a good opportunity as “her fancy was running riot” (Chopin). It is because she sees that there is a full life ahead with a lot of opportunities. She takes stock of her life with her husband and following her death it seems that she is ultimately free. The actual voice of her soul comes out in the shape of the silent words of “free, free, free” (Chopin) which clearly demonstrates that Louise feels marriage an oppression and the death of her husband a liberation from this oppression. This could also be interpreted that she wants to shed off responsibilities the traditions, beliefs, and social customs have tied to women as Barbara has described in her essay. This assertion is actually toward breaking this bond of marriage where only the male has full authority and women are considered or given a secondary role to keep a hold on domestic duties. In fact, the last line which tells that the doctor came is the epitome of Chopin’s thinking about this liberation. It has connotative meanings in that it could be understood as the “joy” of the freedom she won after the death of her husband, and it could be that the doctor was wrong. After all, he was also a male doctor, having full authority to announce his diagnosis. Whatever the cause is, the reality of liberty that she wants from her marriage ends with her death; an indication that this was institutionalized in marriage so strongly that it was not easy to break it open.

Mrs Mallard and Identity in “The Story of an Hour”

In his study about identity in “The Story of an Hour” Berkove states that there is a profound irony in the story, adding that Mrs. Mallard is not considered a heroin but “a victim of her own self-assertion” (Berkov 152). To some extent, it seems true. Her argument seems valid in that he has explored the story from the standpoint of psychological criticism. His argument is that she might have double issues of the heart – for she is suffering “emotionally as well as physically” (Berkov156). And this seems true, too. It is because she could not have recovered from the shock of the death of Mr. Brently, which could have easily killed any other woman of that era. The reason is that “great care was taken to break her as gently as possible the news” (Chopin), which points to the fact that she was suffering from both sorts of sicknesses. The psychologically valid point also finds some evidences within the text where it proves that she was suffering from a psychological problem of self-assertion or identity that she could not think clearly. Chopin has very indistinctly shown her heroin when her thinking is clouded, as she is just in the initial stages of her delusion that her identity is going to be recognized so she can assert herself as an independent and free woman. However, it requires another debate, except for a few references, there is no clear indication that she was a psychological patient. She was good and knew that her husband loved her. However, had she not been disillusioned before that. It is clear that this an hour between the death of Mr. Brently, and her own death. Her thinking journey just takes an hour, and reaches its peak from where it proved fatal for her to come down. However, the major point is that her depiction of this self-assertion is highly subtle as it is wrapped in an innocent desire for freedom and self-hood.

Conclusion: Feminine Identity in “The Story of an Hour”

Concluding the discussion, it is fair to state that Kate Chopin has taken cues from the institution of marriage, the status of women, and the assertion of identity against that male-dominated society to present her views in the stories, specifically in “The Story of an Hour.” The spread of the French idea of intellectual development led to a change in her thinking about the traditional concept of marriage and the roles of women. She has presented the woman going or at least desiring to go against the male-dominated society of that time in the role of Louise. It is also that the character of Louise and her muffled thinking and comments about her freedom highlights the oppression that a woman has to undergo during her married life and the possibility of freedom that she could think about. Psychologically, she has also tried to explore the very idea of female identity and self-assertion in a society where only four areas were given to women with the argument that she could have power and authority but to get within these limits. However, it is another point that her all desires dashed to the ground. The last sentence of the story is an evidence that she must have been harboring this idea since long though it was only an hour that she reached the pinnacle of her joy of having freedom ahead in the future. Leaving aside the outcome of the debate, it is quite certain from her biography and other stories, too, demonstrate that she was the torchbearer of the freedom of women, authority of the women and identity recognition in that setup of social norms, and also that she has asserted those without appearing defiant in this story.

Works Cited

1. Berkove, Lawrence I. “Fatal Self-Assertion in Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour.” American Literary Realism 32, no. 2 (winter 2000): 152-58.
2. Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” VCU. n.d. Web. Accessed 21 July 2014.
3. Hicks, Victoria. “Patriarchal Representation and Domestic Liberation: The Home in Kate Chopin’s Short Fiction.” 2009. UNCA. Web. Accessed 21 July 2014.
4. Papke, Mary E. “Verging on the Abyss: The Social Fiction of Kate Chopin and Edith Wharton.” New York:  Greenwood P, 1990.
5. Toth, Emily. Kate Chopin. New York: Morrow, 1990.
6. Welter, Barbara. ”The Cult of True Womanhood:  1820-1860.”  The American Family in the Social Historical Perspective.  Ed. Michael Gordon.  New York:  St. Martin’s P, 1978.  372-92.

Relevant Questions about Identity in “The Story of an Hour”

1. How does the character of Louise Mallard’s evolving feminine identity in “The Story of an Hour” reflect the societal expectations and constraints placed on women in the late 19th century?
2. In “The Story of an Hour,” how does the revelation of Louise Mallard’s true feelings challenge conventional notions of feminine identity, particularly in the context of marriage and societal roles?
3. Can you analyze the symbolism of the open window in “The Story of an Hour” and its connection to Louise Mallard’s exploration of her own feminine identity and newfound sense of freedom?

Introduction to Transformation in “The Metamorphosis”

Family is a microcosm experiencing transformation in “The Metamorphosis” representing different characters who witness a strange phenomenon and demonstrate reactions, ranging from initial love and care to extreme anger, and violence and then ostracizing the transformed individual. The major character Gregor sees himself transformed into an abominable vermin. This triggers further transformation in “The Metamorphosis” on minor scales, but these are the other transformations that take up more space than Gregor himself. Although the transformation in “The Metamorphosis”of Gregor is on a physical level, almost all other transformations are on a psychological and mental level. A person completely changes his character to suit the changing circumstances. Even sometimes, some reactions seem absurd, leading the readers to feel empathy with Gregor and wonder at the reactions of the same family members who, a month ago, used to consider him a pivot in the family. Therefore, this is not just a transformation of an individual but it is the transformation of the whole family. The story “The Metamorphosis” by Kafka presents this transformation of Mr. Gregor from a breadwinner to an abominable vermin, a burden on the family, innocent, childish, and perceptive Grete to an assertive head of the family, old Mr. Samsa to a violent old man, and a caring mother to a dependent and acquiesced, old woman, who consents to every proposal suggested for the supposed welfare of the family.

Gregor’s Transformation in “The Metamorphosis”

Gregor Samsa is a very responsible family member and a traveling salesman, living with his family in an apartment. The whole family depends on him but a sudden physical transformation of his body into a bug turns his whole plans upside down. His only reaction was “What happened to me?” (Kafka 318). His transformation into a  vermin entails his whole physical transformation, his belly, his head, his legs, and even his sense of smell, but his thinking is the same. He still thinks about his hard work saying, “The next train left at seven” (319) but he also knows that he is unable to get up due to his transformed shape. His responsibility seems to dominate his thoughts more than his physical change. He has the same humanity that he used to harbor for his family members “If I did not have curb on my tongue because of my parents” (318) he would have left that job a long time ago. Even though he knows his problem, he does not think to fix it first but only thinks about his job, his position, and the condition of his parents in which they would find themselves after he is unable to work. He still thinks that his sister is more “perceptive” (320) and that only she has understood his condition even before opening the door. When they decide to remove furniture from his room, although he seems to feel comfortable in open movements, he still does not want to change his human habits but still prides himself on providing “his parents and his sister with such a life in a nice apartment” (328). Despite a highly critical situation, he maintains his calm and composure only to “help his family bear the burdens that his present condition had placed on them” (328). He knows that his family members are transforming and their attitude is quite telling in this connection. But he also knows that “they were surely suffering enough as it was” (329) only because of his transformation in “Metamorphosis”. However, he is surprised but this gradual transformation of his family members that even Grete, the most considerate one, says to her mother “I refuse to utter my brother”s name in the presence of this monster” (343). Yet, he stays the same and “recall[s] his family with deep emotion and love” (345) which shows his mental stability and love for the family until his death.

Physical Transformation in “Metamorphosis”

As far as Grete is concerned, she does not witness any transformation in “The Metamorphosis” on the physical level, but inwardly she changes a lot. She was highly “perceptive” (319) as Gregor says. Then she takes care of his food, his room, and the financial situation of the whole house. She takes up the responsibility of the entire family, shows sympathy with every other member, and starts earning. However, her inward transformation starts when she starts earning and it occurs to her that Gregor has become a burden to them. She has realized that he is creating problems for them and this transformation forces her to concoct some excuse to get rid of him. She says, “Dear parents, we cannot go on like this. Maybe you do not realize but I do. I refuse to utter my brother”s name in the presence of this monster” (343) which is a clear indication that now she is paving the way either to expel him or to kill. This excuse reaches the pinnacles when she finally declares that “I can”t stand it anymore either” (343). In fact, she has some finer prospects that could not have been fulfilled without this transformation. This was inevitable as she was to “find a good husband” (347).

Family Transformation in “The Metamorphosis”

The role of Mr. Samsa is, however, almost the same. Although he used to pay homage to Gregor in the beginning when he was not an insect, he changed into a violent person. He used to be a businessman but unfortunately faced severe losses and came under the debt of the company, Gregor is working for now. It seems that they are not on good terms with each other from the very start, but when Gregor transforms into an insect, “he began stamping his feet and waving cane” (326) to show his disgust and even “gave him a hard blow that was truly a deliverance” (328). When for the second time he had had a chance to look at him, he threw an apple and one of them hit “Gregor”s back” (338) which proved deadly and led him to suffer for several days. In fact, as everything was being done by Gregor, “they had gratefully accepted the money and he had given it gladly but no special warmth went with it” (330) and when he turned into an insect, he was tolerated for a few days, but then again there is no warmth. Therefore, his father turns against him.

Conclusion

In short, it is not the metamorphosis of Gregor alone, but it is the transformation in “The Metamorphosis” of his entire family except his mother who accepts fate. It is because she is dependent on others for everything. When she sees him, she is horrified and when she is told that the insect is not Gregor, she accepts it resignedly. Actually, it is the finances that work and Grete takes lead in this connection. When she becomes a responsible member of the family and everything falls on her shoulders, she thinks that if she is carrying on with it she will no longer have good prospects. Therefore, she makes up her mind to get rid of him by showing the reality to other family members and when all agree, her mental transformation is complete. It is another thing that Gregor still feels the same emotions and the same love for the family but he has lost his utility which is the impetus for utility.

Works Cited

Kafka, Franz. “The Metamorphosis.” An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing. Ed. Kennedy X. J. & Dana Gioia. 3rd ed. Vol. 10. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 318-343. Print.

Relevant Questions about Transformation in “The Metamorphosis”

1. How does Gregor’s physical transformation in “The Metamorphosis” affect his relationships with his family members?
2. What are the psychological and emotional transformations experienced by Gregor and his family throughout the story, and how do they contribute to the overall narrative?
3. In “The Metamorphosis,” how does Gregor’s metamorphosis symbolize broader themes of alienation and isolation in society?

Introduction to Magical Realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…”

Gabriel Garcia Marquez presented fantasy world in his stories that is unbelievably believable such as magical realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…”. One of them involves an old man having enormous wings. Both stories seem to have events taken out of ordinary life but amalgamated with inexplicable and minute details not found in ordinary life. Just, for example, there is no such thing as a flying man nor is there such a huge person as Esteban, named by the villagers. However, such creatures have been thrown in the midst of the public just to evaluate the reaction of the general populace and see how this reaction destroys or improves their lives.

Handsomeness and Magical Realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…”

In the story “The Handsomest Man in the World”, a huge dead body appears on the shore where the children first see and gather around it. It becomes known later when the people take him to the village that not only he is extraordinarily huge, but also that there is nothing to place him such as a bad or anything else. Therefore, the villagers think that “maybe the ability to keep on growing after death was part of the nature of certain drowned men” which is not based on reality (Marquez 253). It is because there is no scientific reason behind this proposition. This amalgamation of unexpected, mysterious, and unbelievable phenomena into ordinary realities is one of the major features of magical realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…” propagated by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. 

Credulity and Magical Realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…”

In fact, this story has a very strong and almost believable story but still has some magical qualities showing magical realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…” that start emerging from the narrative throughout until the story ends on a happy note. This story, like all other pieces demonstrating magical realism, has a very strong narrative to tell. The start starts with how the children find the dead body and discover that it is a huge one. However, when the women enter the scene, even the men change their thinking about the dead body. Not only does the dead man win proper respect but also “the most splendid funeral they could conceive for an abandoned drowned man” (253-254). Although described in mythical details, every act from the purchase of flowers by the women to spreading the news to nearby villages is done accordingly. The people are engaged in other activities such as reverence shown to the strange dead body and arrangement for the final departing scene.

Conclusion

The audience and readers know that he is only a dead man and it has almost never happened. However, Garica has taken him to a mythical proportion that the natives have never imagined. His one feature leads to another and then his image starts blowing out of proportion to a mythical level where he has really become a “larger than life figure” (253-254). Although this is not all, there are several elements that resemble folk tales and dreams. After combined with the realities of life and everyday activities, they form the mainstay of magical realism as shown in this story. The village becomes a desolate place when they send him on his final journey but then he becomes a part of their life as it becomes “Esteban’s village.” This is the magic of magical realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…” that Marqust has presented in a different style.

Works Cited

Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. “The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World.” Collected Stories (1984): 253-254.

Relevant Questions Magical Realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

1. How does Gabriel Garcia Marquez employ magical realism in “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” and what effects does this narrative technique have on the story’s themes and message?
2. In “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” how does the use of magical realism enhance the reader’s understanding of the villagers’ reactions to the drowned man’s arrival and transformation, and how does it shape the story’s overall meaning?
3. What are some key examples of magical realism in “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” and how do these instances blur the line between reality and fantasy while highlighting the story’s underlying commentary on human nature and community?

Introduction to Sound and Hearing in “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”

Stories “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allen Poe show the use of sound and hearing and their impact on human beings. In fact, the use of sounds is pivotal and crucial in writing, as one cannot directly show these sounds. They are rather used in corresponding vocabulary items, or through stylistic devices such as repetition which Poe has also used in both these stories. In most cases, such use is found in poems. However, Edgar Allen Poe has brought these sounds into his short stories and succeeded in creating fear and horror in his works. He exploits hearing sense to cast a spell on his readers by creating sounds that give a touch of reality to the story as well as the plot. The sounds and hearing sense have many things in common. A man is likely to hear the sounds, which he can himself create. It is also a fact that sometimes one sense is more powerful than the other. The same is the case with the teller of the story in, “The Tell-Tale Heart” (Poe, p. 761). However, the role of these senses is very important in developing a black and benighted mysterious environment in the background. The sounds in, “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado” demonstrate an unnerving atmosphere created by these sounds as well as make the atmosphere mysteriously horrible, conveying complicated psychological issues and resultant crime.

Religion and “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”

Before writing stories, Edgar Allen Poe had already preoccupied himself with the notion that religion could no more develop terror in the hearts of the public. The people also wished to see something concrete, which could be felt like something in real life – which means an unnerving and fearful atmosphere around them. Professor Calanchi (2015), a researcher from Italy writes in his research work entitled “ Searching For Sounds in U.S. Literature: A Multisensorial, Multidisciplinary Project” that the daily speeches and sermons of the clergy were no more effective in creating terror. He says that Poe’s characters have Christian backgrounds, but at the same time, they seem to have some psychological disorders. They seem ready to kill their friends and fellows, but they also talk about God. It is evident when Montresor replies to Fortunato, as he mentions, “For the love of God” and he also responds to him in the same vein (p. 768). Calanchi goes on to explain that Edgar Allen Poe intends to make the readers go into a sort of shock to create a fearful atmosphere. It is because according to Calanchi, religion has lost its significance in this background and that sounds are only used to create some sort of “uncanny atmosphere” (p. 5). Given the existing “uncanny atmosphere”, the horror overcomes the audiences and the readers alike (p. 5).  Though these sounds do not seem to have any allegorical significance, he could not find out and mention the psychological underpinnings, as these sounds create rather an eerie atmosphere in which the readers are lost, feeling horror and terror of the crime committed thereof and it is the same in both stories “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”.

Role of Sounds in “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”

While talking about the mysteriousness of any event or story, the role of sounds cannot be undermined. It is obvious these days that the majority of terror and horror films are shaped by creating an amalgamation of terror sounds. These sounds fill the audience with terror as in the movie, The Exorcist, given in the afterthought. It also is evident in Edgar Allen’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado” where the sense of hearing of the narrator, in the case of first story, becomes acute that he feels as if he is hearing various sounds and voices. The narrator of the story admits that the ailment he had, has “sharpened my senses” (Poe, p. 762). It indicates his psychological disease, which has developed hallucinations, related to the sounds and these sounds create a type of mysterious situation in his mind. John E. Reilly (1969) in his paper “The Lesser Death-Watch and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’“ declares that the source of the sound that the narrator hears is mysterious as it is not clear. In his opinion, the sound of tick-tick has eliminated the spiritual power found in his personality, creating a sort of mystery. The fact is that both the killer and the killed have the same mental conditions. He opines that such type of hearing points to “a function of the narrator’s frame of mind …[giving] rise to hyperacusis” and the ability of the brain (Reilly, 1969). Despite this, there are dark and cryptic niches in the minds, which adopt more complex shapes that the audiences are wonderstruck when they leave and this is the direction where mystery takes them to. This is what Reilly calls “ the innocuous sound of an insect becomes a measure of time” and than becomes a “homicidal frenzy”, a psychological condition, as pointed out (Reilly, 1969). 

Negativity in “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”

Basically, a man has a natural tendency for goodness but at the same time, he is likely to indulge in negative sentiments such as exacting revenge, or committing a crime as a result. It is the revenge that Montresor in “The Cask of Amontillado” imposes upon Fortunato to equal the score of vilifications. The narrator in “Tell-Tale Heart” avenges and retaliates against the elderly person as he has allegedly inflicted torture on him with the tick-tick sound coming from his heart although it is not his fault. This sound plays an important role in the committing of murder as well as the confession of the same resultant crime. Dawn B. Sova (2007), in his book, Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, highlights this fact by saying, “The narrator is …distressed by hearing the overwhelming sound of a heartbeat”, adding that following the murder, the narrator hears this ticking sound that “leads him to confess the crime” resulted from the same sound (174). It is because of this reason that Poe has used several devices including repetition, showing different sounds used to create the impression of a psychological disorder and the eventual crimes perpetrated after that.

Conclusion

To sum up, it can be said that sounds have a great role to play in Poe’s short stories, “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”. These sounds have created and intensified the element of fear and horror in situations that apparently look simple. The murder of an elderly person by an anonymous killer is an everyday incident. In this case, Poe has also made it impressive and special with his technique of narration, description, and by the use of sounds especially the sounds of the beating of the elderly man’s heart. The revenge taken by Montresor appears to be a normal criminal incident committed by a criminal. However, the sounds heard by him and uttered by Fortunato towards the end of the story and the manner of his description make the crime horrible not only for the readers but also for the writers. Therefore, the statement that Poe exploited his poetic sense of sounds in his short stories “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”  for powerful effect cannot be declared wrong.  

Afterthought: It is the Heading Turning Scene from the movie, The Exorcist. The sounds create a specific role in making it more terrifying, specifically the shrieks of Linda Blair and Regon, and then the creaking sounds of the sliding sofa, drawers, and the bed. The sound of the Demon also makes it terrifying and then when the scene ends, the shrieks seem echoing in the mind of the audience. Had there been no sounds, this scene would not have been as shocking and terrifying as shrieks and creaking sounds have made it (Friedkin & Batty, 1973).

References

1. Blatty, W. P. & Friedkin, W. (1973). The Exorcist. United States: Warner Bros.
2. Calanchi, A. (2015). Searching For Sounds in U.S. Literature: A Multisensorial, Multidisciplinary Project. European Scientific Journal 3: 1-12.
3. Poe, E. A. (2015). The Cask of Amontillado. In C. Anne (Ed.), The Story and Its Writer (6th ed., pp. 761-767). Boston: Bed Ford/ St. Martin.
4. ———–. (2015). Tell-Tale Heart. In C. Anne (Ed.), The Story and Its Writer (6th ed., pp. 768-775). Boston: Bed Ford/ St. Martin.
5. Reilly, J. E. (2011). The Lesser Death-Watch and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart”. Retrieved from Edgar Allen Poe Society website on January 14, 2016. 
6. Sova, D. B. (2007). Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work. New York. Infobase Publishing. 174.

Relevant Questions

1. In “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado,” how do the authors use sounds and descriptions related to hearing to create a sense of suspense and unease in their respective stories?
2. What role does the auditory sense play in the development of the main characters’ paranoia and obsession in “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”?
3. How does the use of sound and hearing in “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado” contribute to the overall atmosphere and mood of these two Edgar Allan Poe stories?

Introduction to African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…”

Modern living and the arrival of supermarkets have not only affected the general populace in the United States but also African Americans. Hence, presenting African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…” inevitably highlights the effects of the modern lifestyle on the youths of this marginal community. African American youths have had to adjust to the new realities of joblessness, new lifestyle, and new transformations in the social fabric. The main character of “The Long Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” is fully aware of these social changes and the effects of the new market mechanism. That is why he makes his appearance in the famous Third Avenue 7-11, for just Creamsicle and considers himself a hero (Alexie 3). In the same way, Sammy does leave his job just to show his heroism to the girls who do not even see what he has done. It just dawns upon him that he has nowhere to go after he leaves his job (Updike 4-5). The use of first persons in the narrative by both the characters in “A&P”, and “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” shows the assertiveness of these two young men, their behavioral frustration at stores, and their reflection over their failed lives in the material world.

First Person Narrative of African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…”

As far as the use of the first person in the narrative is concerned, it is a symbol of assertive behavior. Both African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…” are assertive. Although Sammy has a family, it is not clear whether Sherman Alexie’s boy has a family or not, but he is shown as an assertive fellow. His behavior with his girlfriend, his separation from her, and even his behavior at the store; this points to assertiveness in his character. “I wanted to whistle low and menacingly but I never learned to whistle”, he says when he is at the store with the shift manager to purchase Creamsicle (Alexie 3). Sammy, on the other hand, narrates his entire episode with the girls, his work at the store, and even his final moments with assertiveness. About the girls, he says, “I began to feel sorry for them, they couldn’t help it” (Updike 3). Both African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…” show their assertiveness almost everywhere, and it is more clear through their first-person narrative. Their assertiveness, however, is a reflection of their frustration.

Frustration of African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…”

Young people mostly felt frustrated during the 70s and 80s on account of fewer employment opportunities. The only opportunities were in the career of salesmen in the stores such as A&P and 7-11. Both African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…” “are doing jobs in an outlet of these chains of superstores. Sammy is still employed, while the boy has left long ago. The article, “How The A&P Changed The Way We Shop,” tells in detail about these supermarkets and superstores saying that the arrival of more customers made the young men more frustrated, “In a supermarket, you were likely not to know your customers,” though it sometimes happens that the world goes according to the market mechanism where morals and rules hold little importance (“How The A&P Changed The Way We Shop”). Sammy does not know what to do with Lengel when Lengel asks the girls to abide by the policy of the store that does not exist. This further adds to Sammy’s frustration. In the case of the boy in Sherman Alexie’s story, this frustration is pounded with the unrequited love that is also due to his unemployment (Alexie 5). And this unemployment is the reflection of a career failure.

 Survival of African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…”

In fact, those were very hard times, where survival without proper education and skills was not possible. Specifically, the black community lagged far behind in education and skills. The odd jobs of working in the supermarkets and the introduction of major stores further shrank the opportunities. The mother of the boy in Sherman Alexie’s story is worried about her son, “Where are you going to do with the rest of your life,” she asked him and he is frustrated as he said only “Don’t know” (Alexie 5). The same is the case with Sammy. He has said that he is going to leave the job, knowing nothing about what to do next. Although the manager, Lengel, reminds him, “I don’t think you know what you’re saying” to which he responds, “But I do” though by the end of the story, he confesses, “I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter” (Updike 5). This is a clear indication of his career failure. Both African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…” do not know what to do in their lives.

Conclusion

In short, the argument of difficulties and frustration the decades of the 70s and 80s posed to African American communities proved really very hard as two young characters of the story “A&P” and “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” show. Both African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…” show their assertiveness through first-person narrative. However, this too shows their frustration which is a reflection of their failure in the world. In other words, this community was at its wit’s end after the introduction of new shopping ways and new superstores and markets. The stories clearly show this dilemma of the African American community through the young characters who display the condition and behavioral frustration of the entire community. The story also depicts the changing times and its effects on the behavior of the youths. Although both African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…” are specific ones, they are representative characters of a community that is feeling the heat of materialism.

Works Cited

1. Alexie, Sherman. “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.” Duke. n. d. Web. Accessed 22 Feb. 2017.
2. “ How The A&P Changed The Way We Shop.” NPR. 23 Aug. 2011. Accessed 22 Feb. 2017.
3. Updike, John. “A&P.” Brainstorm Services. n. d. Accessed 22 Feb. 2017.

Relevant Questions about African American characters in “A&P” and “The Lone Ranger…”

1. How do the African American characters in “A&P” and “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” contribute to the themes of identity and societal expectations in these stories?
2. In “A&P” and “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,” how do the African American characters navigate their roles and relationships within the predominantly white environments, and what impact does this have on the narratives?
3. What similarities and differences can be observed in the portrayal of African American characters in “A&P” and “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,” and how do these characters influence the stories’ exploration of race and culture?

Introduction

With minimum adjectives and minimum words, setting in “Hills Like White Elephants” by Hemingway captures not only the tense relations between characters, but also the spirit of the age within two and a half pages. With just two characters and a railway station in the hilly background, Hemingway has succeeded in creating a conflict that starts from the very beginning of the story and lasts until the story ends. This conflict does not end; rather, it forces the female character, whose name is Jig, to become silent and taunts the American for not being silent. It also synchronizes with the barren setting of the countryside where the story is set. Therefore, in a way, Hemingway in “Hills Like White Elephants, has put the girl in a conflicting situation to make a difficult decision following which she is engaged in a deep introspection regarding the likely consequences amid this barren setting where the train is to take them to the other world.

Lost Generation and Setting in “Hills Like White Elephants”

The story seems to be written after WWI when money, sex, and lawlessness created a new generation, or the lost generation as John Steinbeck called it. This generation was not only rootless but also moral-less, having nothing to live, no purpose to live and nobody to live with (Sanchez). The American seems to be representing this lost generation, for he has no name, no place to go by, and nothing to live by – the reason that the girl is pleading with him not to leave her.  This puts the girl in a dilemma, as he poses her two choices – to either go for abortion or to let him leave her. It is clear from this when the American puts forward the proposal before her that “it’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig” (Hemingway 75), she stays silent. He repeats and promises her, “I’ll stay with you all the time” to which she responds “Then what will do afterward?” based on which she is to make this decision (75). Now the onus of the decision is upon her that was the hallmark of the lost generation in that they shirked the responsibilities like the American here. This forced acceptance leads her to a critical point of decision-making within in this minimal setting in “Hills Like White Elephants”.

Jig and Setting in “Hills Like White Elephant”

Jig is, then, lost in introspection about whether to consent to him and whether consenting to his suggestion would not lead to having him with her or not. These likely consequences make her meditate on her future despite his repeated assurances that he would be with him through think and think. She thinks about whether her decision to undergo this operation would be really long-term relations that she doubts because when he promises her again, she says that “I don’t feel any way” (76), adding, “I just know things” by which she means that she knows he will leave her (76). It is because she has never called him even once by his name. In the entire story, he is a nameless character, the American, who could go anywhere at any time, having no responsibility and no accountability. That is why she is lost in introspection over the likely consequences that could be against her. This is shown by her chagrined response to his assurances when she says, “Would you please please please please please please please please stop talking?” and Hemingway notes that “he did not say anything” because he has nothing else to say (77). Both of them know this reality because their surrounding or setting in “Hills Like White Elephants” is telling them.

Barren Setting in “Hills Like White Elephants”

This surrounding is their setting that is totally devoid of greenery, shade, and even grass that typically grows at any place. The setting of any story sets the moods of the characters, showing how they are going to behave and what they will have in the future. Both of the characters, the American and the girl are sitting amid the barren setting. This setting is a symbol of the futility of the conversation, infertility, and sterility. On the side where they were sitting there “was no shade and no trees” while the hills were “white in the sun and the country was brown and dry” where nothing grow (75). This shows that the attempt of the American to convince the girl may succeed but the relationship is infertile like the landscape. She would not succeed in having the American with her all the time is the case here. His claims that he would stand by her all the time are just based on this topical assumption that she would undergo surgery and they will be fine like before. But it is unclear whether they have been meeting for how many years. That is why the setting in “Hills Like White Elephants” only adds to the infertility of the situation.

Conclusion

In short, not only the dialog but also the situation of the characters add tension to the conflict existing between both characters. Hemingway has not wasted more words in showing it and showing the setting. He has mentioned abortion or operation only once which makes the entire situation clear. Then the setting in “Hills Like White Elephants” adds further to this bitter relationship between the girl and the American where they feel the futility of their meeting and conversation – the reason that the girl has to insist on the American’s silence. They have nothing to do at this railway station but only wait which seems to them reasonable because they cannot do anything else.

Works Cited

1. Hemingway, Earnest. “Hills Like White Elephants.” Mays. Kelly J. et al. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 8^th Ed. Norton. New York. 2002. Print. 75-78.
2. Sanchez, Salina. “The Lost Generation.” CCHS News Quest. n. d. Web. Accessed 16 July. 2015.

Relevant Questions about the Setting in “Hills Like White Elephant”

1. How does the setting in “Hills Like White Elephants” by Hemingway contribute to the overall atmosphere and tone of the story?
2. In “Hills Like White Elephants” by Hemingway, how does the setting play a symbolic role in conveying the underlying tension between the characters?
3. What specific details in the setting of “Hills Like White Elephants” by Hemingway help to emphasize the theme and central conflict of the story?

Introduction to Freedom in “The Story of an Hour”

Women’s freedom in “The Story of an Hour” is a hot debate. It is also surprising that Kate Chopin who was surrounded by female characters more than the male members of her family in her entire life has come up with such a strong character in her fiction. Due to presentation of Mrs. Louise Mallard has been termed a strong feminist of the 19^th century. Peggy Skaggs states this fact in her book about her that Kate Chopin was in the middle of female characters – the reason that she has projected feminism and freedom in “The Story of an Hour” and other stories. However, the calm attitude that she has inherited from her father could not find a trace in her short stories (Skaggs 17). Although the character of Mrs. Louise could hardly prompt the critics to label Kate Chopin a forerunner American woman feminist, it has some traces of independence, freedom, and desire for unshackling the patriarchal domination, that “The Story of an Hour” seems Chopin’s first attempt to project feminism (Skaggs 17).

Feminism and Women’s Freedom in “The Story of an Hour”

In fact, feminism could be traced back to Nathaniel Hawthorne, who has projected feministic characters in his short stories and novel, The Scarlet Letter, as stated by Nina Baym in her book, Feminism and American Literary History: Essays (36). As far as the theory of feminism is concerned, if the criterion is to project female characters, it goes as far back as the Greek and Roman civilizations. However, in American literature, it emerges mostly in the fiction of Nathaniel Hawthorne, but the term itself needs a clear definition before debating the story in the light of this literary theory. Where the feminism term is concerned, the online Merriam- Webster Dictionary claims that it was first used in 1895 by some anonymous critic, as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” asserting women ‘s rights and interests (“Feminism”). This explains that feminism is a movement in literature, politics, or society. It asserts that women should have rights equal to men. In this connection, Mary Eagleton explains in her book, Feminist Literary Criticism, that the objective of feminist theory in literature is to appreciate and explain a piece of fiction or poetry regarding its role in projecting female characters and female rights (63). It becomes clear that women’s freedom in “The Story of an Hour” means projecting Mrs. Louise as having faced oppression in her marriage bond with her husband that following his death she sees it an opportunity to shed his domination. For example, when, “She arose … and opened the door to her”, this rising and opening the door suggests suggest that she is rather thinking of her sister as prodding her about her past life that she wants to forget (Chopin pr. 20). Her movement here is the projection of a female assertion Kate Chopin demonstrates everywhere in this story. In fact, freedom in “The Story of an Hour,” presents the issues of the oppressive bond of marriage, unspoken patriarchal domination, social traditions, and some other social barriers as the major reasons for the feminine desire for independence and freedom though some signs of postmodern feminism could also be traced.  

Marriage Bond and Freedom in “The Story of an Hour”

Where the presentation of the bond of marriage in “The Story of an Hour” is concerned, it is not very much clear from the story. Her presentation of the life of Brently and Mrs. Louise rather shows that Kate Chopin has a very traditional view of marriage. However, the lines in the story, “She was young, with fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression” clarifies the “repression” of marriage, as the word “repression” is highly suggestive of this fact (Chopin pr. 8). She has certainly gone through the repression of marriage in the story, though Chopin is showing her here as a loving and loyal wife. The next hint about the bond of marriage as oppressive comes when Mrs. Louise confesses that although “she had loved him – sometimes. Often she had not” (pr. 15). It means that there have been times in her marriage when she had felt that she did not love Brently. In this connection, Robert Evans has commented on this fact in “Literary Contexts in Short Stories: Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of An Hour.’” He argues, “The essential honesty of the story (often a trait of Chopin’s best writing) continues when Louise concedes that although she had usually loved Brently, often she had not. Her feelings for Brently, however, suddenly seem less important than the prospect of her bright future of freedom” (Robert). By this, he means that Mrs. Louise has realized that she can live without her husband, and now she finds the opportunity for her to assert her being after his death. Therefore, she suddenly becomes happy. That is why a prodding from any other person to alert her to come out of her pleasurable stupor, even from her sister, seems her an anathema. It is because she is enjoying this freedom from the bond of oppressive marriage. And it is clear from her silent utterance of free and enjoyment of nature outside the window which show freedom in “The Story of an Hour”.

Mrs. Louis Mallard and Freedom in “The Story of an Hour”

Another evidence, in this connection, is her “wild abandonment” regarding the significance of the event, which has taken place in her life (Chopin pr. 3). This significant event is the death of her husband, Brently. Abandonment shows that she has not guessed the significance, while her initial response is just emotional. This realization of the fact of her husband’s death shows that one hour is not enough to fully realize the significance of the death of Brently. However, thes time is enough to make a person feel about his / her own self and the surroundings as Selina Jamil suggests in her paper, “Emotions in THE STORY OF AN HOUR.” She argues that to “simply observe the world through one’s rational faculty is nowhere near as powerful as observing with the vibrant, vigorous, acute and heightened awareness that emotions make it possible” (220). She fully realizes her emotional response at this point that she is now in her own self. The fact is that she has found the bond of marriage unshackled before her at this point. She realizes her independence, she might never have realized in the presence of her husband, which is quite natural here. The reason is that she would not have the opportunity to respond to the natural events taking place around her such as the tops of the trees quivering, the breath of the fresh rain, the crying of the peddler, the distance song, and the patches of the blue sky (Chopin pr. 5-6). Her emotional response to these natural happenings shows that she has become aware while the oppressed bond of marriage, at times when she did not love her husband, has not allowed her to look into these happenings.

Patriarchy and Freedom in “The Story of an Hour”

Also, the domination of the male members in society was perhaps imperceptible at that time. In this connection, the final scene of the appearance of Brently at the doorstep is critical but Mark Cunningham states referring to most of the critics as having commented on its patriarchal impact on the feminine psyche, as an assumption, for there is no other evidence, he claims, to suggest that it is really the return of the patriarchal domination that causes her death. However, he argues that “the story portrays the position of women in late nineteenth-century American society as so bleak that the attempt to break from the life-denying limitations of patriarchal society is itself destructive” (49). This fact of a patriarchal society clarifies that all limitations and avenues of the society were the subjects of the male members. Had she done any other attempt to come out of this, she might have harmed herself. Therefore, it is important to assume that at that time patriarchal domination was strong that breaking the limitation of having no husband and enjoying alone in one’s room, for a married woman, seems an impossibility which when broken could have taken the life of Louise Brently. In other words, when she sees Brently by the end of the story, she realizes that she has not found the fulfillment that she has just realized in his supposed permanent absence.

Another point is the position, which the patriarchal social setup of that time offers to women. Women were subservient to men in every respect. Louise Mallard is not shown as a working lady. Brently Mallard is working in the railway, a point that cannot be missed in that he is the breadwinner of the family and obviously has a big say in the family affairs due to his position. The fact that she is financially and socially subservient to him shows that it definitely has degraded her position. This is the cause of the oppression that she suffered in this marriage bond that she has been left to play second fiddle to Brently, though she is not habitual of being subservient as she ordered her sister Josephine to “Go, away” adding, “I am not making myself ill” (pr. 18). She wants to realize her being by staying alone. However, she does not know that the independence from the male domination that she has won naturally may not live long. This independence could be limited and isolated, as Mark Cunningham argues that, “her position would be defined as that of a widow, so any current freedom is based on her relation to the past” and not the present (57). What he means is that this patriarchal domination is so complete and overwhelming that a woman cannot shed off these shackles of her own will. She has to stay within these limits set by men even after the death of a husband. Even the future freedom of women is dependent on the role and attitudes of men, for they have the final say in the affairs of widows whether they are to stay at home or not.

As far as social traditions with reference to freedom in “The Story of an Hour” are concerned, there are no obvious references to these traditions except when there is an opportunity to inform the lady in question. There could be a tradition that the widow should be informed by her sister, the reason that Josephine comes to her. But it is the industrial age when traditions were changing fast. For example, there is no connection between Richards and Josephine, for no relation is clear in the story about them. However, their arrival together shows that society has come to the point where an unfamiliar male could meet an unfamiliar female. Another importance of social tradition is the change that industry is bringing. The railway has brought this change that now accidents are common. Mourning has taken place before the arrival of the dead body and the widow has assumed that she is now free and independent. She is experiencing the arrival of this freedom in her body, “There was something come to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully” where the word “fearfully” is highly suggestive, for it tells that she has already harbored such ambitions in her heart (pr. 9). It could be no other than freedom from the social traditions. In fact, it is a woman’s failure to follow the tradition of keeping herself confined within the limits of mourning instead of shedding these limits so fast.

Social Norms and Freedom in “The Story of an Hour”

Another side of the traditions is that men create them. The story does not mention that she has not followed them, but the arrival of her sister and the friend of her husband shows that she is a traditional woman, as she cannot go out now to get the information by herself. In this connection, the comments of Mark Cunningham are very important. He is of the view that social traditions create social systems, and it is a sorry affair that “women have been unable to create a system of their own” adding that, “The female self will have gained autonomy only to find that she has no life to lead” (53). In this connection, he means that women would lead their autonomous lives only if they are able to create their own system. Regarding freedom in “The Story of an Hour”, Mrs. Louise Mallard fails to create her own system. She is only feeling the joy of being independent in her dreams. And the problem is that dreams seldom become realities. They often stay dreams. There was “Someone…opening the front door with a latchkey” (pr. 24). That someone is always a man, which means that wherever Louise may go, she would have to face the men who have created every system, including norms of consolation over a loss, conveying of a message or not conveying, and homecoming, as Brently comes at the end and causes her death.

Despite all these barriers women’s desire for independence is always alive. It is a continuous struggle from which she cannot shy away curbing her freedom in”The Story of an Hour”. Whatever the situation at home may be, every woman vies for freedom, autonomy, and independence. Although reasons for her failure are always there, the desire for independence and freedom never dies. However, there is a slight difference in independence and freedom in “The Story of an Hour”. Independence means that she is able to think, act and do whatever she wants in the total absence of a patriarchal world. However, freedom means a partly free world where a man can step in at any moment. In the case of Louise Mallard, she is just feeling freedom. The passage clarifies that she has shown that sometimes she loved her husband but sometimes not. The passage ends with the word “free” where she says “Body and soul free”, a transitory feeling of freedom, but of course no independence (Chopin pr. 6). However, Scott Johnson has termed the implicit meanings as dependence, freedom, indifference, love and several others saying that such dual structure exists throughout the story, not clearly saying that this is freedom or independence (285). Although it is clear that she wants freedom for her soul as well as body, it is unclear that this is akin to independence which means a permanent state of freedom where she has the will to come and go anywhere. Yet, the turning of the latchkey at the end of the story suggests that something is coming to shackle her again which leads to her death. This means that even if freedom is transitory, it means a lot to her.

However, as far as independence is concerned, it is also one of the several themes of the stories, but not the whole theme. She is seeing something in the long run, as the “patches of the blue sky” suggest (Chopin pr. 6). In fact, the blue sky suggests a distance, and distance means that she has a long life ahead of her to live. Her demonstration of relief shows this fact. The fact is that when a person is happy, he does wild things such as “When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips”, which shows that earlier she was restricted to some area from where she is now free (pr. 13). Also, it is clear from this passage that she loves her husband and that whenever she has the chance to see his dead body again, she would weep again. Therefore, it is also a sign that she is seeing her independence from something oppressive, and this is long-term independence as is clear from the story, “But she saw beyond the bitter moment a long process of years to come that would belong to her absolutely” (pr. 13). The sense of possession makes a person desire or not desire something. Even time is on her side, and the long years of her life seem that they are just in her possession.

All these qualities of feminine desire for freedom in “The Story of an Hour” about soul and body, the wish to come out of the patriarchal dominance, and the want to remove social and other barriers have made the story a representative story of feminism. Yet, there is more to tell besides the freedom and independence of women. The article about the collection of different responses, “Appendix: Applications: Diverse Responses to Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” shows different facets of modern and post-modern feminism which include self, gender, power of sexuality, and recognition. Quoting Kathleen B. Durrer, the article says that the physical tiredness of Mrs. Mallard is an evidence that she has gone through a lifelong battle in her mind. The article further says that she is going through a conflict between “the id, the ego, and the superego” adding that “she has led a sexually repressed life” and that “Her reaction to her husband’s death may imply that marriage did not abound in sexual passion” (276). Kathleen Durrer even goes too far in saying that the death of her husband even “touched off an internal battle in her unconscious mind”, adding that her id might have been enjoying this pleasure of Brently’s death that her superego could have been appalled. Therefore, there is a possibility that her ego could have attempted to mediate between the two (277). But there is not much evidence in the text in this connection to show that there is a such mental conflict going on in her mind.

However, as far as the modern sign of sexuality is concerned, some terms suggest that it is present showing freedom in “The Story of an Hour”. In this connection, the article, “Appendix: Applications: Diverse Responses to Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” quotes a Freudian Barbara Larson who suggests that almost all the words associated with Mrs. Louise Mallard are suggestive of feminine sexuality, “especially, “sank”, “pressed down”, “her body”, “reached into her soul”, and “physical exhaustion.” (277). She adds that this “is passive and implies domination” by which she means patriarchal domination, an entirely contradictory approach of modern feminism (277). The article quotes two other Freudians, Lara Bridger, and Geni Williams respectively that it could be a violent “release of primal energy” after long repression of married life, and that it seems that “the adrenaline has stopped pumping through her body and exhaustion has sent in”(277). Whatever interpretation modern feminists may offer; the truth is that the text does not offer much evidence in this connection except for some words or phrases though some ambiguity could support this aspect of the story that these interpretations might be true.

Conclusion

In short, women’s freedom in “The Story of an Hour” has been much more advanced than the actual age in which it was written. If compared with that age, it is clearly a feminist approach of a female writer who might have wished to win freedom though she lived most of her life in an environment dominated by females, a contradiction often found in writers. The signs of feminism are clear from the character of Mrs. Mallard who not only expresses a sudden release of emotions as she expresses a newly won sense of freedom feeling that now long life is ahead for her to enjoy. She also is enjoying this freedom from the unspoken domination of the male setup where men have created systems for women to stay subservient to them. This she has experienced when Richards comes to inform her about the death of her husband though Josephine is with him. The presence of a male member is necessary.

There is also a sign of freedom in “The Story of an Hour” from social traditions and other social norms such as the presence of Richards, the moving of a latchkey in the hole in the door, and the way she is told about the death of her husband. This leads the story to show having all the qualities of feminism. Along with it, some critics have also traced some postmodern feministic aspects of having mental conflict between her id and ego and superego and even release of repressed sexuality in the form of jubilation that she expresses on the death of Brently. Some have gone too far in interpretations suggesting that it could be that her repressed sexual passions became free after the death of her husband or that she must have led a repressed sexual life, but these claims find not much support from the text itself. In fact, all these interpretations require much textual support which in these cases comprises only some words and single phrases and not much. Other than this, all other qualities of propagating or showing women’s repression from conjugal life, male domination, social setup, and social traditions against feminism are very much present with full-textual support. One thing is certain that “The Story of an Hour” started a feminist movement at that time when it was considered almost a taboo, and no any female writer has touched these aspects of women’s lives in such a vigorous way as Kate Chopin has done.

Works Cited

1. “Appendix: Applications: Diverse Responses to Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour.” Short Fiction: A Critical Companion (1997): 271-295. Humanities Source. Web. Accessed 30 May 2016.
2. Baym, Nina. Feminism and American Literary History: Essays. New Jersey. Rutgers University Press. 1992. Print. pp. 35-36.
3. Cunningham, Mark. “The Autonomous Female Self and The Death of Louise Mallard in Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’.” English Language Notes 42.1 (2004): 48-55. Humanities Source. Web. Accessed 30 May 2016.
4. Eagleton, Mary. Feminist Literary Criticism. New York.Taylor & Francis, 2014. Print. pp. 63.
5. Evans, Robert C. “Literary Contexts in Short Stories: Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour.” Literary Contexts in Short Stories: Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’ (2006): 1. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. Accessed 30 May 2016.
6.  “Feminism.” Merriam-Webster Online. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 30 May 2016.
7. Jamil, S. Selina. “Emotions In the Story Of An Hour.” Explicator 67.3 (2009): 215. MasterFILE Premier. Web. Accessed 30 May 2016.
8.  Skaggs, Peggy. Kate Chopin. The University of Michigan. Twayne Publishers. 1985. Print.

Relevant Questions about Freedom in “The Story of an Hour”

1. How does the theme of freedom in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin reflect the protagonist’s inner desires and the constraints of her time?
2. In what ways does Kate Chopin use the concept of freedom in “The Story of an Hour” to convey a feminist message about women’s roles in society during the late 19th century?
3. Can the concept of freedom in “The Story of an Hour” be seen as a symbol of liberation from societal expectations, and how does it contribute to the story’s overall message about gender and autonomy?

Introduction to Feminism in Argentina

Although feminism in Argentina in the political landscape is not a new term, in the Latin American context and specifically with reference to literature and politics in Argentina, feminism found rich soil and rich minds during the Peron era and military rule of the decade of the 80s and 90s. It is because the educational landscape in Argentina fully supported the rise of political as well as literary feminism. However, the rise of Eva Peron changed the entire feminist landscape in the decade of the 40s. Working as an actress in the Argentinian film industry, Eva Peron joined politics following her marriage to a colonel, Juan Peron, in 1945. The next year, Juan Peron became the president following which Peron’s influence in the country’s politics increased manifolds. She believed in women’s suffrage and gender equality for which she started moving government resources, and for this purpose, she unofficially supported improvements in the health and labor ministries. Marifran Carlosn (2005) describes her as “ruthless and clever, had captured the imaginations of these women”, for she was popular due to her skillful oratory that the poor citizens almost adored her (190). Although she left the landscape following her failed health and dissidence within Argentinian politics, her work for feminism has left its indelible imprint on the minds of girls who were in schools and universities at that time. This situation did not last long, as she left the scene in 1952, but her impact continued making ripples until dictatorship was imposed in 1976. The propaganda and repression continued to give secondary roles to women, but the atmosphere turned hostile to this repression. The incident of fourteen women marching into the Plaza de Mayo in the capital regarding the forced disappearance of their children led to a mass movement called “Madres”, which continued making headlines in local and international media outlets. This minor movement which was left on its own, soon developed into a social movement, picking up momentum until the military junta realized the force behind it, but it was too late. During this time, several ideologues and leftist revolutionaries contributed to the change and democracy but repression increased. The ultimate victims were the poor and the innocents. The impacts of this repression were witnessed more on women, as women became consciously engaged in opposing the military junta. Gwendolyn Diaz (2007), an authority on feminism in Argentina, is of the view that this Dirty War led to more than 30,000 missing persons which “fueled the creative minds of the women authors who chose to write about the power struggles in politics and their effects on society” (3). The short stories written following this period reflect feministic trends of feminism in Argentina and impacts of the past struggles. “Red Summer” by Liliana Heer”, “The Blond Madonna” by Alicia Dujovne Ortiz, and “Combatant Love” by Tununa Mercado demonstrate the effects of man’s dominance and woman’s status, including the spirit of rebellion against the past generation, marginalization of female voice and willful subjugation.

Liliana Heer and Feminism in Argentina

The past sets the directions for the present and the future struggle. Feminism in Argentina and voices to support it emerge from the new generation as well as the expression of sexist situations about the status of women in the struggle. Liliana Heer has consciously made efforts to show feminism in Argentina and this empowerment through her story “Red Summer” in which the mother supposes her daughter to follow her on her path to committing suicide. It is perhaps a hint of desperation in which a mother finds death the only salvation from the repression. However, the daughter does not follow the mother and rebels against her, leaving her to explore the world. This is the first voice that she has given to the females of her age; empowerment, intellectual courage, honesty, and above all the will to love and be loved. However, this is a post-modern view as the daughter makes it clear that her “vision of the events is surreal” (174). In fact, the entire story is woven into images as Lillian has written it in cinematic technique on account of her experience with movies. Although true to her own powerful nature, she does not divulge questions about this story as having autobiographical questions, but then she calls “most of the story fiction” a hint to her powerful creative power and the situation prevalent at that time (171). This is perhaps the wave of feminism in Argentina. Moreover, Tununa Mercado has highlighted this fictional character of feminism in her short allegory-type of the story “Combatant Love”, which does not have real characters. However, this story is written in battle imagery in which the woman is the ultimate vanquished territory, while the male is portrayed as an invader. Although implicit meanings are clearly in favor of male chauvinism, this combatant nature of the story ends it. It is clear as the story shows that “The combatant is all alone” where it is a lesson that even if the invader is hell-bent on showing no love, still the vanquished ‘woman’ can see that he is all alone, where there is hope for recovery and ultimate empowerment (134). She herself states it during her interview with Diaz that “Only seldom is love described as a relationship between equals” that she is implicitly showing male domination in the story (141).

Non-conformity of Feminism in Argentina

Another point of consciousness is the rebellion against the former generation. In fact, this is the consciousness due to the education and awareness left by Eva Peron, as several writers emerged after her during the military rule. “Red Summer” shows this amply when the daughter does not conform to what her mother has persuaded her for. She leaves her, but at the same time makes her own argument rebelling against her mother’s proposition that only suicide is the solution to problems. She is of the view that the girl has left her mother “alone to explore the town” (171). This is a sort of rebellion that she says appears in her story. However, this is an intellectual rebellion that the reference to the Danube, Neitzsche as a spiritual guide, and the slogan of “Live dangerously to the end” are suggestive of this (174).  Alicia Dujovne Ortiz has debated the same point during her interview, saying that though she owes a great deal of her intellectual development to her parents, she has developed her own personality after engaging in writing about familiar and unfamiliar things including a biography of icons such as Eva Peron. About Eva, she writes in “The Blond Madonna” that when she becomes aware of her beauty, she lets it blossom, and takes hold of everything that comes on her way. This is a tribute to Eva in that she is posing her as a rebel who rebelled against the previous generation where “she so longed to live” (156).  This is actually rebellion though it comes at a price they have to pay.

Marginalization of Women and Feminism in Argentina

The other thing projected in both Ortiz as well as Liliana Heer is the marginalization of women as well as their willful subjugation. Although this is not much clear in “Combatant Love”, it is somewhat implicitly stated by Mercado through battle and combatant imagery of male sexual violence devoid of love. Pointing to the male domination in “Combatant Love”, she clearly hints at the undefeated and dominating male sexual obsession, saying “the combatant does not concede” and this “combatant love yearns to leave a mark” (132). It is a hint of the awareness of the feminine marginality against this sexual attack. Ortiz also shows this in her stories and biography of Eva Peron. By the end of the excerpt from her book, The Blond Madonna, she says that Eva “would often say, laughing, “I am a repentant brunette” a veiled hint that she has been marginalized in the male-dominated political arena, though Oritz states that it was said as a joke. But it “remind us of Mary Magdalene” (157). Oritz has also stated it in her interview saying that Eva Peron has put her husband to the task that she wanted to do, as she “had always felt anger for being poor, marginalized, and ignored” (154). In fact, this marginalization of women has come into the foray in the writings of Lillian Heer and Ortiz regarding the emergence of feminism in Argentina.

In short, these three writers have not only reflected the conscious awakenings of the female voices, but also the conscious efforts of the Argentinian women to come out of the stupor that lasted for a decade and make efforts to realize their voices. All three stories “Red Summer”, the excerpt from “The Blond Madonna” and “Combatant Love” show that male domination has played havoc with the female blossoming that Eva has prompted through her struggle. And this shows the emergence of feminism in Argentina, specifically in short stories. These stories also highlight the status of Argentinian women, their spirit to rebel against the past generation’s thinking and ideas to bear insults, and their wilful subjugation as their repressive marginalization by male dominance.

Works Cited

1. Carlson, Marifran.  Feminismo: The Woman’s Movement in Argentina. Chicago Review Press. 2005. Print. 190-191.
2. Diaz, Gwendolyn. “Introduction.” Ed. Gwendolyn Diaz. Women and Power in Argentine Literature. University of Texas Press, 2007. 1-10.
3. Fields, Shawn. “Alicia Dujovne Ortiz”. Ed. Gwendolyn Diaz.  Women and Power in Argentine Literature. University of Texas Press, 2007. 141–160.
4. Fradinger, Moira. “Liliana Heer”. Ed. Gwendolyn Diaz. Women and Power in Argentine Literature. University of Texas Press, 2007. 161–182.
5. Kahn, Peter. “Tununa Mercado”. Ed. Gwendolyn Diaz. Women and Power in Argentine Literature. University of Texas Press, 2007. 121–140.

Relevant Questions about Feminism in Argentina

1. How has feminism in Argentina influenced the narratives and themes explored in contemporary short stories, and what are some notable examples of this influence?
2. In what ways have short stories contributed to the ongoing dialogue surrounding feminism in Argentina, and how do authors use their storytelling to address key feminist issues in the country?
3. Could you provide insights into the evolution of feminism in Argentina as depicted in short stories over the years, highlighting any significant shifts in perspectives, voices, or approaches within the literary realm?