Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin and Dead by James Joyce

Chopin's The Story Of An Hour And Joyce's The Dead

Marriage is commonly defined as an intimate union of a man and woman, involving a special kind of love and commitment that facilitates a harmonious relationship and family life. Too often, however, the reality of marriage proves to be far removed from the idealized images projected by society and religion since individual personalities and the drudgery of daily living lead to a deadening of relationships. Indeed, this is precisely the revelation that both Kate Chopin and James Joyce make in The Story of an Hour and The Dead although the two authors approach the subject of married relationships from rather different perspectives. Both Chopin's Mrs. Mallard and Joyce's Gabriel are depicted as awakening to the true state of their respective marriages. The difference, however, between the two protagonists is that while Mrs. Mallard awakens to her need for liberation, Gabriel regrets the lack of passion in his dull existence with his wife.

Interestingly, both Chopin and Joyce use the theme of death to reflect on the dull, lifeless state of most married relationships. However, the intent of the two authors to explore different manifestations of the married state leads to a sharp contrast in their treatment of death as a subject. Chopin's intent to comment on marriage as the death of individual liberation, for instance, comes through clearly in her description of the promise of life that Mrs. Mallard sees from her window, just after she hears of her husband's demise. "She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life." (Chopin, p. 1)

In contrast, Greta's sentimental narrative of her dead lover invokes feelings of regret and sadness in Gabriel over the lack of passion in his lifeless marriage: "He had never felt like that himself ... But he knew that such a feeling must be love. The tears gathered more thickly in his eyes .... His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow ... faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead." (Joyce, p. 223-224) Thus, it is evident that Gabriel experiences a death of sorts when the deadened state of his marriage and life manifests itself.

The difference in Gabriel Conroy and Louise Mallard's realizations seems to be a direct outcome of the nature of their marriages and the individual personalities involved. Indeed, the characterization of Louise Mallard and Greta Conroy is a study in contrasts for it is evident that the former is a pampered, cosseted wife who acquiesces to her husband's will, whereas the latter is portrayed as a vivacious, strong person who is not afraid of expressing herself or of taking on responsibility.

In fact, Louise Mallard's personality and marriage explains why her husband's death serves as a catalyst to awaken her spirit. A hitherto sickly woman, Louise Mallard surprisingly welcomes the prospect of a future that would belong to her absolutely: "Free! Body and soul free!" (Chopin, p. 2) Chopin, however, portrays Mrs. Mallard's astonishing awakening in a manner that does not, in any way, reflect badly on either her character or her marriage. On the contrary, the revelation that she feels stifled by her marriage only succeeds in evoking empathy, especially when Mrs. Mallard reflects on her relationship with her husband: "She knew that she would weep again .... But she saw beyond that bitter moment ... 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." (Chopin, p. 2) In fact, it is this "moment of illumination" in The Story of an Hour, which clearly reveals Chopin's intent to comment on marriage as a state of affairs that often kills an individual's spirit.