5-2 Discussion Nature of Freedom PDF

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What is Chopin suggesting about the nature of freedom in "The Story of an Hour" and "The Storm"? Exploring the stories' examples of foreshadowing and symbolism will guide our discussion. What additional story elements do you think represent the nature of freedom: the protagonist? the setting? Is Chopin's literary form realism or naturalism? Please use examples from the stories to support your claims. 5-2 Discussion Nature of Freedom Kate Chopin expresses the symbolism of freedom within “The Story of an Hour” through an oppressing marriage. When that marriage ends with death do they part, the main character realizes her new-found freedom by staring out the open window. At first, she weeps, but then begins to realize a sense of freedom she’s never felt before. “There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair. Into this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunter her body and seemed to reach into her soul. She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life.” (Chopin, 543). I felt that the open window and open square represented open opportunities and would fall under naturalism because it was common for woman to be in marriages that they didn’t want to be in and this story shows Ms. Mallard’s natural response to being released from that marriage. In Chopin’s short story “The Storm” freedom is also symbolized within the marriage of the main character Calixta, and in the storm. Calixta and Alcee have an affair in the storm, and they both go their separate ways in the end to return to their happy marriages as if it never happened. I think the setting of the storm and the passion shows the freedom within these characters, because they broke the bindings of their marriage and acted on impulse. “If she was not an immaculate dove in those days, she was still inviolate; a passionate creature whose very defenselessness had made her defense, against which his honor forbade him to prevail. Now – well, now- her lips seemed in a manner free to be tasted.” (Chopin, 546). At first Calixta is considered untouchable, but with the storm she becomes free for the taking. I think that this story has the criteria of naturalism vs. realism. I think naturalism because I don’t think it would be realistic for people to have an affair because of a storm and then carry on with their marriages as if nothing happened. I think the story is more naturalism because it is not uncommon for people to have affairs, but the setting of the storm connects the story with nature.

Works Cited Levine, Robert S., and Kate Chopin. “The Story of an Hour.” Norton Anthology of American Literature, 9th ed., W. W. Norton, 2017, p.543. Levine, Robert S., and Kate Chopin. “The Storm.” Norton Anthology of American Literature, 9th ed., W. W. Norton, 2017, p.546....