A Story of an HourKateChopin2024/7/222AuthorKateChopin,bornKatherineOFlaherty(February8,1850August22,1904),wasanAmericanauthorofshortstoriesandnovels.Sheisnowconsideredbysometohavebeenaforerunneroffeministauthorsofthe20thcentury.From1892to1895,shewroteshortstoriesforbothchildrenandadultswhichwerepublishedinsuchmagazinesasAtlantic Monthly,Vogue,The centuries Magazine,andThe Youths Companion.2024/7/223Withinadecadeofherdeath,Chopinwaswidelyrecognizedasoneoftheleadingwritersofhertime.In1915,FredLewiswrote,someofChopinsworkisequaltothebestthathasbeenproducedinFranceoreveninAmerica.Shedisplayedwhatmaybedescribedasanativeaptitudefornarrationamountingalmosttogenius.2024/7/224Thestoryofanhourunveilsinhalfconcealingtheinequalitybetweenmenandwomeninthelate19thcenturywherewomenaredepressedundertheman-orientedsociety,andtheheroinewellreflectsthetypicalimageofwomaninthatperiodoftime.2024/7/225PlotCanyouuseoneortwosentencestosummarizethewholestory?Mrs.Mallardsreactionandmentalactivitiesfromthemomentsheheardthenewsofherhusbandsdeathtoherdeath2024/7/226What are the four stages of the story and what is the main idea of each stage ?Exposition13:Mrs.MallardknewthenewsofherhusbandsdeathDevelopment47:Mrs.Mallardsreactiontothenewsaftershewenttoherownroom2024/7/227Climax817:Afteralongperiodofmentalactivities,shefoundthereasonforliving.itwasfree.bodyandsoulfreeResolution1821:Mrs.Mallarddiedsuddenlywhenshesawherhusbandstillalive2024/7/228Background and Perspective Place:thisstorytakesplaceinMrs.MallardshousewithLouise,JosephineandRichard.Themajorityofthestorytakesplaceinaspecificpartofthehouse,Louissbedroom.2024/7/229Time:afterlouiesheardofthenewsofherhusband-MrMallardsdeath.Tobespecific:paragraph5trees:aquiverwiththenewspringlifeintheair:deliciousbreathofrainsparrow:twitterintheeaves2024/7/2210showahappyandcheerfulcircumastancerevealthecharacterlouisesemotionmakesastrikingcontrastwiththedeathofherhusbandwhyauthorarangestoryhappeninginahouseratherthananoutdoorsetting?housesymbolizesacageindicatelouisewasnotthatintoherhusband.Whatisthepurposeofusingthesesceneries?2024/7/2211Narrators point of viewAthird-personnarratorenableusreaderstoseedetailsratherthanbelimitedtotheprotagonistspointofviewshowintegratedplotandmultidimensionalcharacters2024/7/2212CharacterThemaincharacter：Mrs.LouiseMallardTheminorcharacter:Josephine,MrsMallardssisterBrentlyMallard,MrsMallardshusbandRichards,BrentlyMallardsfriendDoctors.2024/7/2213Mrs Louise Mallardyoung,beautifulafflictedwithahearttrouble,wellprotectedphysicalexhaustionafterhearingherhusbandsdeathlockherselfintheroomdeadwhenshesawherhusbandcomingback2024/7/2214Characters implied in the storyHerlifewasboundbythemarriageandmoralconceptSheisyearnforthenewthingsTheawakeningofself-consciousnessandherstrongdesireforfreedom.2024/7/2215Tone and StyleTone:Ironic(situational irony )SituationalironyironythatisestablishedwhenthereisanincongruitybetweenwhatisexpectedtohappenandwhatactuallyhappenedDramaticironyironythatisinherentinspeechesorasituationofadramaandisunderstoodbytheaudiencebutnotgraspedbythecharactersintheplay.Verbalironyironyinwhichapersonwritesorsaysonethingandmeansanother,oruseswordstoconveyameaningthatistheoppositeoftheliteralmeaning.2024/7/2216ThemeThethemeaboutthisstory:awomaninthepatriarchalsocietyatthattimewhomustsuppressherindividuality.Shewasweakinappearancebutstronginheart.Shewasdifferentfromotherwomenthatshepursuedthefreedomofherself.However,shecouldnotrealizeherdreambecauseofpowerlessnessatlast.Thisshortstoryreflectsthatawomanmustpaypriceoflifetogetthefreedominthatperiodoftime2024/7/2217Theendingofthestoryofanhourisasurpriseending.Mrs.Mallarddidntexpectherhusbandtocomeback;insteadshepreparedherselfforthefutureliberatedlifeandwentthroughtheawakeningoffeminineconsciousnessandfreedom.ThesuddenandunexpectedappearanceofMr.MallardandthedeathofMrs.Mallardconstitutethesurprisingelementsoftheending.AttheviewofherhusbandMrs.Mallarddiedofheartdisease-ofjoythatkills.