Analysis of Style, Tone, and Language in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

Writing is all about style, tone, and vocabulary. It helps readers understand the meaning of a story and gives it a feeling. The “The Story of an Hour”, uses imagery to communicate the message that the main character is moving from oppression towards freedom. This story conveys the feeling that someone has when they are free. Chopin’s choice of language in her story allows the reader to see what she wants to convey. Many people rejected Chopin’s attempts to publish the story. Publishers refused to publish her story because her ideas were too forward-looking or backward. Her story was published and became well-respected literature. She has been either praised for her work, which she used to revitalize the feminist movement, but also scrutinized by those who believe that marriage should be respected, loved and enjoyed.

The tone and style of Kate Chopin’s writing contributed to “The Story of an Hour,” which was controversial and a success. In a story, death is usually symbolized by fall, winter, or gloom. It is represented in this story with new life and spring. It is a sign that her husband’s death is a blessing and gives her a fresh start in life. “The death Brentley marks her soul’s release from the winter of discontent. She can look out at nature and see that the house is a kind of prison. Her domestic life has been confined. She is confined to her home and prevented from enjoying the beauty of nature. Her room is located at the top of her house in the story. This symbolises that her freedom is increasing and she can be as free as the birds. She is moving towards her old life as she descends into her house. “Her leaving this refuge, and walking down the stairs, foreshadows her loss in freedom.” She doesn’t know that when she gets to the bottom of those stairs her freedom will be gone. Rosenblum puts it very poetically.

She is taken from the bliss of solitude into the hellish world of marriage, where she meets her husband. Death is now her only hope of escape. She cannot fly like the birds and escape by sinking into the grave. It was absurd to expect a woman to be content other than that. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by grief at her husband’s passing, the tone is positive and joyful. “Brentley’s passing is not tragic for her, it gives her her own life back.” She is no longer “the wife”, she is now her own person, and she can do what she wants. She doesn’t have to answer to anyone except herself. It is melancholic because of the sad life Mrs. Mallard led before her husband’s passing. At first she is cautious, not believing what has just happened. She then repeats the phrase “free” repeatedly. She implied that she was in a “self-preservation mode” and resolved to her “lot” in life before hearing the news about her husband’s passing. The tone is also tragic because she is thrown back into her confining marriage after she is free. She dies in shock within minutes.

“He was astonished at Josephine’s piercing cry and Richards’ quick move to shield him from his wife’s view. Richards died too soon. Doctors declared that Richards had died from heart disease, the “joy that kills”. Chopin’s words and language are chosen in such a way that they captivate and mesmerize her readers. “When one writer falls for another’s spell it is usually because the progenitor uses language to forge or reflect a view of the world. Evans considers Chopin “arguably the most important American flash fiction writer.” This story depicts a woman who feels oppressed by her husband. Chopin’s word choice is both thought-provoking and vivid. Her face was “bespoke repressed” and words explaining this suggest that Brentley is still in control of her life. Mrs. Mallard feels all aquiver with new hope because the trees are “all aquiver.” She also uses the words “The notes from a distant song that some one was singing to her faintly” as she was just beginning to see her new life. Evans wrote that Chopin’s language is so controversial during its time, Evans also writes. The reaction to the novel was very negative. Chopin lived and worked for a few more years, but her career and spirits never recovered from the shock of the flood of negative reviews.

To convey the message, many stories had to be either long or extended. Kate Chopin successfully conveyed her message with her short story, “The story of an hour”. The story of an Hour is a short story that has a great flow and is easy to follow. There are hidden meanings and symbolisms within the message. This story may cause confusion for some readers. This story focuses on the emotions, feelings, and events of a woman who has lost her husband. However, she is able to enjoy the freedom from the ties that their marriage brings. This two-page story has received just as much attention, if it not more than the critically acclaimed novels. Chopin was so enraged by the subject that she never recovered fully from it. Despite being ridiculed, she continued to write and publish and became an accomplished writer. “The Story of an Hour,” more than 100 years after its publication, is still being discussed by a variety of critics. Evans provides a detailed analysis of short fiction and gives many accounts of what critics might have to say about Chopin’s story. Chopin’s use of style, tone, language and other elements in such a complex way has made “The Story of an Hour”, a wildly successful and beloved book, as well as a fascinating subject for critics and controversial.