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Literary elements of ‘The Story of an hour’
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Literary elements of ‘The Story of an hour’
The story of an hour is Kate Chopin’s book that is compressed to 1,000 words yet very rich in literary devices and exhibits a number of themes through the topics. It was first published in 1884. The story is developed with different styles and structure in that shows the story is written in short paragraphs with a series of sentences that are either two or three in number. The structure fits the story perfectly as the writer demonstrates the intense hour in which Mallard contemplates her newfound freedom from the moment she learnt of her husband’s death to his unexpected return. Chopin employs the use of literary devices such as foreshadowing, symbolism, repetition and irony to develop the themes that are present in the story. the story addresses the repressive nature of marriage and searches for an identity for the women in marriage.
The first sentence in the story of an hour is developed by presenting the heart troubles and condition that Mrs. Mallard had since her childhood. The use of her heart problems in the story is developed to symbolize the emotional core of an individual (Fluck, 151-171). The heart problems described by Chopin in the book are used to symbolize the emotional heart problems as they relate to the heart. When her sister is breaking the news to her on her husband’s death the author states that the news was delivered to her “in broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing” (Chopin pg. 1). It is because they are conceived she is weak due to her heart condition. Mrs. Mallard was always protected by her sister an act which restricted her freedom.
It is often assumed that when a woman is bereaved of her husband’s death and she is not sad, the marriage was a bad one, but in the story, Chopin describes Mallard and Bentley’s marriage to be the best with no flaw but yet after the death of her husband she started to feel free. She was although in grief for a while she had imagined now a life of freedom. Mrs. Mallard feels liberated and a freewoman after the death of her husband. Mrs. Mallard had been clearly confined to her marriage and now she has the freedom. She believes with the death of his husband his life will be happier and she gets to be independent. while Mallard began enjoying her new freedom, she dies from a heart disease.” but she was beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely” (Chopin,13) Mrs. Mallard was a lonely woman who loved staying in her house behind closed doors, even with her freedom “When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone. She would have no one follow her” (Chopin, 3). Despite having the freedom she longed for she still decided to continue leading a lonely life.
Mrs. Mallard herself in the story is used as a symbol of other women in a marriage that is the central theme in the story of an hour by Chopin. That use of Mrs. Mallard and her heart condition that saw her being protected is presented to show the clear portrayal of women and their roles in the 19th century. In the story, Kate develops the theme of marriage in every chapter that she illustrates as to be centered around the belief among men and women that one has a right to impose their private will upon a fellow being. The theme of marriage presented shows how Mrs. Mallard believed that freedom is restricted by love and marriage hence the cost does not equal the cost. Mrs. Mallard was described as to be fed with the protection which as well implies the afflicted will of other people on someone which is the traditional nature of marriage, thus one gets fed up (Fluck, 151-171).
Louise was ecstatically happy upon realizing the death of her husband which was developed as a surprise by Chopin in the short story. The reaction was elated with a murmur of ‘free’, “Free! Body and soul free!”. In the story, Chopin is successful in making every sentence important by employing literary elements such as repetition of the word such as “free” to emphasize the new freedom of Louise’s that she had acquired. The word free is repeated over and over especially by mention from Louise showing how much she had cherished the newfound freedom (Yansheng, 16). Through this style, we are able to learn that Mrs. Mallard had never been in an environment that would allow her to make her own decisions which were as the norm for women in marriage at the time. She wanted to be free from the protection that had her fed up in her entire life. Hence had her last moments alive living her dream, a dream that allowed her to have options.
In conclusion the story of an intense hour of Mrs. Mallard, although short has extensive use of literary devices that help the story come out precise and clear. With the help of symbolism, repetition, iron and foreshadowing Chopin is able to create an all-inclusive story that happens over a short period of time. The story shows the enlighten of Louise as a free person who achieved her self-identity for a short while as her dreams were seen to be shattered with the return of her husband returning her to a mere subvert wife. this ending shows the irony of the story that is not tragic but rather a relief in that Louise was able to escape marriage in the way that she could.
Works cited
Chopin, Kate. The story of an hour. Joe Books Ltd, 2018.
Fluck, Winfried. “Tentative Transgressions: Kate Chopin’s Fiction as a Mode of Symbolic Action.” Studies in American Fiction 10.2 (1982): 151-171.
Yansheng, M. A. O. “Implicit irony and explicit iconicity——Multi irony from iconic perspective in The Story of An Hour.” Journal of Guangzhou University (Social Science Edition) 8 (2010): 16.
Critical Thinking Essay Question
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Critical Thinking Essay Question
It is a fact that Christianity and Islam are two religions that greatly contradict each other with regards to their teachings, but what are some of the elements in Islam that are shared with Christianity? Similar elements shared by the two religions include belief in one God, the existence of Satan and sin. In addition, the similarity is based on the prophets and the commandments given to them. Christianity and Islam are two religions with several differences in their teachings. Christianity commands the largest following in the world followed by Islam. The Christians use the Holy Book known as the Bible for their teachings as well as learning about the word of God. Conversely, the Muslims depend on the Quran as their holy book detailing the instructions as were put forward by Prophet Mohammed. It is of crucial significance to underscore the fact that even though there are differences in these two religions, there are several elements shared between them. These similarities range from the beliefs shared by the religious adherents to the details found in both the two Holy books used by these two religions.
It is an undeniable fact that both the two religions believe in the presence of only one God. Christians believe that there is only one God (Renard, 37). God is the creator of everything found in the world. He is as well the protector, the provider and the sustainer of the universe, who created the whole universe out of nothing but mere Word. God controls everything in the universe and has powers over all things. The Christians believe that God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. In the same note, the Muslims also believe in the existence of one God namely, Allah. The Muslims believe in the divinity of their God, Allah as well as the powers he possesses over everything. They believe that Allah has the powers and may manifest to a person in many forms at the point of need. They also share the same opinion that Allah is the sole creator and sustainer of the whole universe.
It is important to note that the two religions share the same opinion that God sent several prophets to the world. Some of these prophets include Prophet Noah, Abraham and Moses (Renard, 54). Other prophets included David, John the Baptist, Joseph, as well as Jesus Christ. This belief is shared by both the two religions. The roles played by each of the prophets in fulfilling the God’s work are also universally agreed upon by the two religions. In regards to the prophets, it is believed by Christians that God gave commandments to Moses. Therefore, it is prudent to follow those commands and teachings as are provided for by each Commandment. The failure in obeying such commandments is considered sinful and may have several implications in an individual’s life. On the same note, the Muslims believe that Allah gave out several commandments to Mohammed that the Muslims should follow. The Muslim faithful are expected to obey the teachings contained in the Quran. Failure to obey such laws and commands makes one become a sinner and is liable to severe punishments.
On the other hand, both religions share the same belief on the existence of Satan and sin. Sin separates people from God (Zinner, 32). Therefore, a sinner may easily get punishments and curses following the sins committed. This is a belief shared by the two religions. Again, both religions believe that Satan is evil, thus people should not obey the commands from Satan (Renard, 34). Christians believe that God sent Jesus Christ to save the people from sin. In addition, they believe that one day, Christ will come back to take his people to heave. The Muslims also share the same belief that one day, Jesus Christ will descend from heaven to take his people with him, as well as kill the Anti-Christ. This follows the general acceptance by both the religions that Jesus Christ is the Messiah of God, born of Virgin Mary and performed several miracles before ascending to heaven.
In conclusion, it is crucial to highlight that regardless of the differences, both Christianity and Islam share some similar elements. These include the belief in one God, the existence of sin, as well as the prophets. In addition, they share the same belief in the second coming of Jesus Christ from heaven.
Word count (722 words)
Works Cited
Zinner, Samuel. Christianity and Islam: Essays on Ontology and Archetype. London: Matheson Trust, 2010. Print.
Renard, John. Islam and Christianity: Theological Themes in Comparative Perspective. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011. Internet resource.
Critical Thinking concerning parental abandonment and its consequences
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Critical Thinking concerning parental abandonment and its consequences
Most adults, who were abandoned by their parents when they were children, often have problems when relating to others. This is most especially if the parent is a mother. It is vital that children are nurtured accordingly, in order for them to grow up as they are meant to. Emotional stability is an essential aspect, which children, should acquire to help with their relationships in the future. The issue concerning parental abandonment and the impact on children has for long been an issue, which is controversial. This is the reason why many authors have made an attempt to explain this occurrence. The book ‘The Drama of the Gifted Child’ by Miller Alice is about matters related to parental abandonment.
The novel ‘Flight’ by Sherman Alexis is an example of a film, which relates to Alice Miller’s message. The main protagonist in the film is a boy known as Zits. He is described as being violent as well as an outcast. The latter became an orphan when he was young and this is the reason why he tends to display unruly behavior. It seems that Zits had issues of self-esteem and blamed himself for his appearance, which to him was unpleasant. Children are in need of respect, acceptance, as well as acknowledgement. In turn, they will become adults, who are significant to their children. Since Zits lacked all an upbringing, which is proper, he became a delinquent. A lot of what happened to Zits, according to Miller, is because he did not have a father. Abandonment is an issue, which is of great concern as people, often find negative ways to deal with it Zit was biracial as his mother was Irish and his Indian. The circumstances, which lead to his abandonment by the parents is different. His mother had breast cancer and died while his father left the family when Zits was born. According to Zits, the reason why he behaves the way he does, is because he has never settled. Most times, he is moving into different foster homes. One of his bad traits is that he is a drunkard despite being only fifteen years old.
Zits is viewed as a boy, who is suffering, due to the problems he encountered while extremely young .It is possible to claim that if his parents were around up to now, he would not behave in such a negative manner. Later on, Zits transforms into the bodies of different people in an effort to find out about their lives. Most times, he is an Indian, which coincidentally was his father’s race. This means that he yearns to know about his father despite his absence. According to Miller, people who have been rejected, often acquire a behavior, which they believe, makes them become tough. For example, they tend to engage in behaviors, which distract them. Also, they tend to imagine that they are in other peoples bodies. This means that they are in need of some emotional attachment. In this case, Zits was a drunkard as well he engaged in criminal acts. The latter is the reason why most times, he was in juvenile systems.
The film ‘The 400 Blows’ by Truffaut Francois, mostly focuses on the life of Doinel Antoine. Most people viewed him as being different, as most times he was involved in making trouble for others. While at school, he is extremely mischievous, to the point whereby, he gets punished. One could easily say that this is ordinary behavior often displayed by adolescents. The behavior he displays at home is extremely different than that at school. This is similar to that of Zits, who was always involved in matters, which were considered as being unruly. His mother is extremely domineering, as she seems to order Antoine all the time. Unlike Zits, whose father was absent, Antoine’s father is present and they seem to have a wonderful son and father relationship. It seems that Antoine is mistreated at home and also not living within the best conditions. He only has a sleeping bag, which is put on the hallway. Antoine’s mother is having an affair, which is a problem to him. At one point, his mother was caught by him, while kissing a man, who is not his father. Sometimes his father is not very good towards him, but he seems to love and care, at the same time. As a result of Antoine’s mother’s affair, their family is being affected greatly and this seems to have an effect on Antoine.
Antoine suffered emotionally, thus the reason why he ran away from home. He believed this would be a solution to his problems. As compared to Zits, who did not have parents, they seem to display the same attitude. This means that parents are not always the cause of unruly behavior among children. In both Antoine’s and Zit’s experiences, juvenile was a place where they could be contained and prevented from causing trouble. In reality, nothing much was solved by taking them there, as they were in need of parental love. Antoine’s mother is concerned about her son and wants to ensure that he grows up and becomes responsible. This is the reason why she believed that all her intentions were to make her son better. In conclusion, children should be brought up well and this is through ensuring that their needs are catered for. Physical and emotional needs are extremely essential aspects. In turn, when they reach adulthood they are good society members.