Symbolism in Kate Chopin\'s \"Story

¶ … Symbolism

In Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour" an unexpected turn at the end of story, ends up defining the true theme of this writing. An individual's inability to evade death becomes the overarching theme that surrounds every element of this story. Despite family attempt to avoid death for Mrs. Mallard and for her to accept the death of her own husband, the story teaches us that people can take precautions in order to delay dying, but the twists and turns of life make death completely impossible to avoid.

The author achieves this theme by constantly mentioning the fear that everyone has of death and the steps that they take to prevent an early death for Mrs. Mallard. They do everything possible to prevent Mrs. Mallard from dying. Her heart condition is almost a sure death sentence, so everyone has to tiptoe around her to make sure that nothing too drastic occurs, so as to not upset Mrs. Mallard in anyway. Personifying death as an entity constantly surrounding the house make the readers feel as if death is a gloomy shadowy mist that is always present. Death takes on human characteristics by portraying an action, instead of a state of being, "When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease -- of joy that kills." What was supposed to be a happy moment in her life, ended up killing her. Using personification as a literary device adds on to the impact that the theme is supposed to have on its readers.

Irony is an element used to constantly allow the readers to know the lesson of this story: people are unable to avoid mortality. Mrs. Mallard is confined to the four walls of her own home. She is constantly being looked after as if she were going to die any minute. Upon the death of her husband, her family is torn about how and when to break the news to her, for fear of her untimely death due to her weak heart. However, when the news is broken to Mrs. Mallard, she is in disbelief, yet still alive. Once she has overcome any immediate grief, she pulls herself together, realizing that she must now live for herself (a concept that is ironic in itself). The twist comes in the end, where a symbolic and ironic concept merge as one, Mr. Mallard is still alive. Once Mrs. Mallard sees him, she is in such shock, that she ends up dying. What is ironic about this is not just the fact that Mr. Mallard was indeed still alive, but that in the end, the people who had tried to protect her the most, ended up killing her by giving her the false death news to begin with. This occurrence adds symbolism to the ending by providing us with reassurance of the story's theme that despite any precaution taken, death is the one thing that cannot be planned for.

2.)

Symbolism is highly present in Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path." It is this strong symbolism that defines what "A Worn Path" grew to represent. This story may be interpreted in many ways, but in the end, it all comes down to the theme of self-sacrifice despite the hardships presented. Phoenix sacrifices her sanity, her life, and demonstrates utter determination when she is on her path to get medicine for her dying grandson. The items that demonstrate this symbolism go far beyond individual interpretation.

The character's name itself provides great symbolism to relate to the theme of the story. "Phoenix" represents an Egyptian bird that symbolizes resurrection. Throughout the entire story, Phoenix is her grandson's savior. She needs to go through it all in order to allow her grandchild to survive, to rise from a state of inevitable death. Another symbolic token is nature. Nature is around her and cannot be avoided, and although it is beautiful at times, nature itself provides Phoenix with physical obstacles, such as fencing wire and bushes, that she must overcome to in order to fulfill her journey. Another obstacle that takes on its own symbolic meaning is that of racism. Along her path Phoenix encounters a white man from whom she ends up taking a nickle from. Her exposure along the path she has taken is to the outside world, that during that time period represents so much more than nature; it represents exposure to a racially segregated and black-hating world. Despite this danger, she risks and sacrifices herself for her grandson.