Term Paper on "Visions of Vitality and Morality in Three Literary Genres"

Term Paper 8 pages (2970 words) Sources: 5 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Visions of Vitality and Morality in Three Literary Genres

Story of an Hour," "A Secret Sorrow," and "A Sorrowful Woman" are three short stories that focus on the inner life of their main characters. The other characters in these stories are merely means of depicting the conflicts occurring inside of the central characters. Although written in different epochs, these short stories illustrate a coherent perspective on life and death. In the case of Chopin's and Godwin's stories, the protagonist feels trapped inside an unhappy marriage, and can only release themselves through death, be it involuntary in the case of Mrs. Mallard, or suicide in the case of Godwin's "A Sorrowful Woman." Unlike the other two, "A Secret Sorrow" presents a protagonist whose idea of happiness is centered on the concept of family and children. Faye's inner struggle is generated by her incapacity to procreate.

Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour" depicts the inner struggles that take place inside Mrs. Mallard, a young woman whose husband is reported to have died in an accident. Mrs. Mallard's sister, Josephine, informs her of her husband's death. The young woman starts crying and rushes to her bedroom wanting to grieve the loss of her husband alone. The themes of life and death are tied together in Chopin's short story; death is seen as both an ending and a new beginning from the point-of-view of the wife. Mrs. Mallard does not realize how unhappy and trapped she feels until she hears the tragic news of her husband's death. Stricken with grief and profound sadness, she is now given the chance to re-examine her feelings. In "The Story of an Hour," the conflict is of man vs. self. In this respect, the focal point of the narration is on Mrs. Mallard's feelings and inner turmoil.

What starts out as mourning turns into a complex process of introspection. Self-analysis appears to be something completely new to Mrs. Mallard. Looking outside the window, her eyes staring at the blue sky, she has an epiphany which would change her entire outlook on the meaning of life as well as death. The reader does not know whether or not Mrs. Mallard is a happy woman; all we are told in the beginning of the story is that she suffers from a heart condition which makes her sister worry about how she will take the news of her husband's death: "It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing." She goes to her room and sinks in the comfortable chair that is facing the window.

Setting is a very important literary element in Chopin's story. Nature is in antithesis with her feeling; here, Chopin uses a series of antithesis which are meant to enhance the suffering of Mrs. Mallard by opposing is to the new life outside her window. In this sense, it is important to understand each of these opposition as they are avatars of the inner change that takes place as a result of this process of introspection. In this context, imagery is the key to understanding the opposition between the outer and the inner worlds. "The delicious breath of rain" that filled the air is an indication of the arrival of spring, the season of rebirth and new beginnings. The salesman on the street is also a metaphor for life, and vitality as he is "crying his wares." Moreover, the song sung by someone in the street also symbolizes life, as singing is one of the basic forms of human expression. Last but not least, the sparrows "twittering in the eaves" are messengers of spring as well as symbols of a new life as migratory birds return to their homes upon the arrival of spring.

The omniscient point-of-view allows the narrator to explore the most intimate and well-hidden feelings and reactions of the characters. In Chopin's story, the depth analyzed and presented through the voice of the narrator illuminate several aspects related to the character of Mrs. Mallard. The reader does not know much about Mrs. Mallard; however, at this point the narrator makes a short description of the main character: "She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength." Her lines are presented as a signal of repression. Nonetheless, the narrator does not go any further hence the reader does not know whether this repression is caused by Mrs. Mallard husband, or simply by the role of women in late 19th century society. In many way, this aspect is not important in order to understand the interiority of this character. Her feelings, however, are relevant. The fear that she experiences while staring at a patch of blue sky is not an indication of mere reflection, but of a complex mental process of analysis which results in a conclusion.

Along with the "subtle and elusive" thought that Mrs. Mallard is left with after assessing her life and loss comes a feeling of joy that is generally experienced by someone who is given a second chance at life. This is what Mrs. Mallard is feeling; her exuberant exclamation "free, free, free!" represents her release from the institution of marriage which she perceives as a sort of imprisonment. However, she does not clearly express her unhappiness regarding her marriage or her husband although she says she only loved him at times. This moment of total release and freedom chases away the "vacant stare in her eyes." She now sees the death of her husband as a second chance, one that she wants to make the most of: "There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature."

The joy that Mrs. Mallard experiences is the joy of rediscovering her own vitality as well as her own individuality. At this point she becomes aware of the fact that she no longer has to live for someone else; in this sense, the joy that she feels is the joy of assuming one's life, and taking charge of one's destiny. Through the death of her husband, Mrs. Mallard is given her own life back. Chopin relies on the literary element of foreshadowing in order to hint at the ending of the story but also to create suspense and anticipation. The first sentence of the story is the most clear and direct use of this literary technique: "Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death"; this abrupt introduction suggests that her heart trouble might be relevant towards the end of the story. Indeed, when her husband - who had not even been around the scene of the accident - enters the house, she has a heart attack and dies.

Sorrowful Woman" by Gail Godwin revolves around a wife and mother who becomes gradually dissatisfied with family life. Her inner struggles are generated by a feeling of emptiness and loss that prevent her from enjoying family life in particular, and life in general. Despite being married to a wonderful man who understands and supports her, the woman finds herself not wanting to lead that life anymore. She becomes secluded and isolates herself from the rest of the family without caring about the impact of her seclusion on her husband and young son. The woman lacks the will to live. Throughout the story the reader is given the impression that she wants to abandon life completely; her profound isolation is not the result of being unhappy in her marriage, or not being able to handle the responsibilities of motherhood but a pathological sense of emptiness and purposelessness which she does not try to control or fight against. The woman in Godwin's story lacks any drop of vitality which could pull her out of that state, and help her resume her life. She chooses to isolate herself completely, and moves to a white room that had been previously occupied by a girl hired to help her around the house and take care of her child. Through the use of symbolism, Godwin manages to convey the woman's lack of vitality, as well as her rejection of both her family and the world. The room she moves to is white; in this context, white is a metaphor for a lack of life as well as a diminishing of individuality. The woman makes no effort to decorate the room, to personalize as to make it feel like home; all she needs is "books, cigarettes, bread and cheese."

The woman severs all ties with her husband and son. He rejects communication, and prefers to send and receive notes instead of seeing and talking to her family: "Just push the notes under the door; I'll read them." Even… READ MORE

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