A paper on the imagery in Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”, by Harry Maugans.

Chopin eloquently laces “œThe Story of an Hour” with vivid imagery to accentuate the contrasting segments and offset social paradigms, enchanting the reader to perceive the situation from her slant. Employing strong irony in a nearly satirical fashion, Chopin utilizes vivacious descriptions as a literary tool to portray the unexpected and coerce the reader to their own conclusions, instead of explicitly stating them. Her masterful crafting of graphic illustrations, employed at the appropriate places, brings a revitalizing light to the story.

In the story, Chopin waits until Mrs. Mallard received the news of her husband”™s death before diving into her visual exhibition. “œWhen the storm of grief had spent itself,” introduces a weather-oriented theme that vibrantly enhances the spike of mental anguish felt upon first receiving the ghastly news. This imagery depicts a violent and dismal entity, setting the oscillation”™s trough low for elevated contrast when juxtaposed against the later inundation of euphoria.

As Mrs. Mallard proceeds into her room, the reader immediately notices a peculiar shift in the imagery”™s façade. The dark and gloomy atmosphere is penetrated by her sitting in “œa comfortable, roomy armchair,” a less than distressing description. She then gazes outside and a gush of serenities pour into the reader”™s ears: a bombshell hits the ambiance.

She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves.

This unexpected twist adds a whole new shade of color to the story. The unforeseen irony leaves the reader dumbfounded, struggling to make sense of Chopin”™s disconnected logic. Why would a distraught widow notice such a radiant image as “œnew spring life,” atop the trees outside her window? Chopin uses this imagery to serve as metaphorical symbolism to Mrs. Mallard herself. An important reference to the time of the year is made, spring, which is associated with new life and growth. As she breathes in a “œdelicious breath of rain,” she is being reborn without the implicit oppression in her past. This section of the story also extends the weather reference in the beginning, serving as a peaceful break from chaos, or the eye of the storm.

In the next paragraph, Mrs. Mallard notices “œpatches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds.” This imagery is bursting with metaphorical connotation. The blue sky, symbolizing serenity and delight, is starting to appear through the clouds, symbolizing the last pieces of the turbulent storm in the previous scene. This also reinforces the reader”™s assumption that a bizarre joy is emerging. The clouds and sky continue to play off the weather theme, acting as a guide to her mindset. Like most other imagery in the story, this landscape is directly metaphorical of Mrs. Mallard, with her happiness beginning to show through her preceding anguish.

To support the postulation of oppression and dismay in Mrs. Mallard”™s past, Chopin masterfully adds that the clouds “œhad met and piled one above the other.” This image of unity is symbolic of the happiness she has never felt before. This emotional divergence overwhelmed Mrs. Mallard, leaving her “œthrown back upon the cushion of the chair, quite motionless, except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams.” In comparing her to a child, this image goes to further support the metaphorical rebirth she”™s undergoing. The emotional influx is such that she reverts to an innate state of mind, waiting for it to all sink in.

Chopin continues to strengthen her illustrative ties in the eighth paragraph, describing Mrs. Mallard”™s “œyoung” face with “œdull [eyes] whose gaze was fixed away off yonder on one of those patches of blue sky.” The word “œyoung” is a concrete reference to her childhood-like state- with the dull gaze emphasizing her overwhelmed condition. The “œpatches of blue sky” revisits the reader here, continuing the weather theme, while demonstrating a yearning for that happiness. This scene mirrors a youthful school-aged child staring out the window, wishing he wasn”™t sitting in a classroom. The child wants to play outside instead of working on English assignments all day, and Mrs. Mallard, like a young child, craves escaping her captivity and enjoying life as well.
As Mrs. Mallard”™s happiness began to build, she “œfelt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air,” using powerful imagery to personify her weathered state of mind, “œreaching” toward her, switching from a passive to an active voice. This image alleviates her personal guilt, as the happiness is reaching towards her: she”™s not pursuing it. When she “œfelt it, creeping out of the sky,” it shows reserve and hesitation in admitting a positive feeling”™s presence, yet exposed with such radiance, the reader can only assume she”™s craving those feelings with a passionate heart. The air has sound and color, clearly symbolic of a very upbeat mood transcending her.

Mrs. Mallard”™s “œbosom rose and fell tumultuously,” describing her state of raising anticipation and nearing acceptance. She describes the feeling as, “œapproaching to possess her,” reiterating her previous guilt scapegoat and further enhancing her child-like image through circumventing responsibility, even for her own thoughts and feelings. She engages in a graphic fruitless attempt to battle back that feeling, “œstriving to beat it back with her will,” ironic and juvenile since she hungers for her opposition, however quickly abandoned when “œa little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips . . . free.” And there was light. The entire story from the beginning up to this point is summarized into one word: “œfree.” The word free today symbolically stands against any despotism and injustice, the very same evils the reader speculated earlier. This confirms her gloomy past, and explains the use of such intense positive imagery after receiving the news of her husband”™s death.

Chopin follows the epiphany by describing Mrs. Mallard”™s fast beating pulse and “œthe coursing blood [that] warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.” This is another brilliant wrench on the reader, as normally this imagery would be cheery, but here it depicts grave foreshadowing of a pending heart-attack, from her known heart condition.

Mentally progressing toward analysis, she discloses that “œshe would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death,” a statement dripping with cynical undertone, as earlier she offered her dismay in her previous life. This imagery again touches on societal norms, symbolizing what she feels is expected of her, summarizing the antagonism in Chopin”™s absolute argument, and selfishly contending she followed her role until death.

All the while, Mrs. Mallard”™s friend “œwas kneeling before the closed door with her lips to the keyhold.” This imagery goes to show a strong sense of being disconnected. Mrs. Mallard is the only person standing in that room, and the only person, according to societal norms, to have those feelings. She is not only disconnected from society, but now she is also disconnected from the oppression of her husband. She is alone, and she is free. She “œ[drinks] in a very elixir of life through that open window,” emblematic of her emotional cure; the “œelixir” is her remedy. In her cured state, Mrs. Mallard speaks of “œspring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own,” all images of joyous times- happier times. She “œbreathed a quick prayer that life might be long,” basking in the imagery of her liberated mindset. From a “œfeverish triumph in her eyes,” to carrying “œherself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory,” Chopin clearly depicts Mrs. Mallard”™s newfound bliss.

At the end of the story, Mr. Mallard enters “œa little travel-stained,” brilliant imagery of first impression, depicting him not as valiant, but as worn-down and meek. The juxtaposition of Mr. Mallard to his wife”™s elation is intensely ironic, as he depicts how the reader assumes Mrs. Mallard lived previously. Josephine’s “œpiercing cry,” highlights the shock of the situation, and serves as a curtain on that scene.

Chopin stuffs “œThe Story of an Hour” with strong imagery to effectively illustrate the vast unexpected twists she pulls off. From sarcasm to devastation, every graphical description helps entice the reader and pull them closer to the center cords of the story. As a master of prose, Chopin does not leave any reader in the metaphorical dark.

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Parenthetical documentation dropped. Works Cited:
Chopin, Kate. “œThe Story of an Hour.” Third. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006

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