Truth and Consequences in Chopin\'s

Truth and Consequences in Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" and Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown"

We often hear the adage that the truth will set you free but in some worse case scenarios, the truth can destroy you. While we search for truth and meaning in life, we never know what to expect because of the law of unintended consequences. When social and religious values come into conflict with one what we have been taught to believe, the result can be devastating. Two stories that demonstrate this point are "The Story of an Hour," by Kate Chopin and "Young Goodman Brown, " by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Both protagonists in these stories stumble upon realizations that literally change their lives and their outlooks forever. Louise lives her life under the constraints of a male-dominated society and when she realizes the freedom that awaits her after her husband's death, she is reborn. Goodman changes because his religious views are challenged and, as a result, he looses faith in anything and can never completely recover. Both characters face a new and strange truth; they are not set free by their realizations but subsequently ruined because of them.

In "The Story of an Hour," Louise's realization is immersed in the news of her husband's death. She goes through the typical phases of shock and sadness but she soon realizes that something wonderful has happened; without a husband, she is free to reach for any type of life she desires. With open eyes, she realizes everything she could have and this realization astonishes her to the point of extreme excitability. She suddenly drinks in the "elixir of life through that open window" (Chopin) and she experiences the "delicious breath of rain was in the air" (Chopin). Her future is suddenly filled with "spring days, and summer days" (Chopin). When she thinks of looking upon her dead husband, she imagines she will be sad but that is overcome with feelings of relief. She does not cry; she "opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome" (Chopin) and her "pulse beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body" (Chopin). Here we see a woman that is completely transformed by what she perceives as the truth.

Unlike Louise, Goodman's epiphany is clouded with doubt, regret, and failure. Goodman's realization is prompted by what he sees in the woods. Those he would have guessed to be of righteous conviction are partaking of activities with the devil, causing him to doubt whether there is a "heaven above him" (Hawthorne). He decides to stand form regardless of what others are doing and but he has already been affected by what he saw. The thought of his wife participating in the ceremony is what pushes him over the edge, even though he cannot logically prove that what he has seen is real or a manifestation of his imagination. The pink ribbon fluttering before him is significant because it represents Faith, his wife and faith, his religion - both of which are "gone" (Hawthorne) at this point. He is changed by what he believes is truth and he can trust no one anymore. It is difficult enough that the man looses his faith but he also comes to look upon his faith with disdain. His appreciation for all that once held dear is ruined by what he might or might not have seen in the forest. The Sabbath, once a holy day, is infected to the point that Goodman cannot listen to hymns because an "anthem of sin rushed loudly upon his ear and drowned all the blessed strain" (Hawthorne). Everything and everyone is dirty and, unfortunately, there is no relief for Goodman.

It is important to note that while Goodman never knows the absolute truth about what his eyes beheld, it does not matter because the damage has been done. His life is permanently altered by the mere suggestion of good, honest people turning toward evil. In the same vein, Louise never gets to experience her new life because the truth on which she hung her hopes was in fact, misinformation. They are on opposite sides of the gamut when it comes to truth and consequences but the results are the same.