Various Authors

¶ … Fictional Elements in Selected Works from Kate Chopin and Anton Chekhov In both of Kate Chopin's works, "The Story of an Hour" and "Desiree's Baby," the most important element of fiction which the author invokes is plot and conflict, for the simple fact that this element is the most effective way of imparting the powerful irony which grips both of these tales.

"The Story of an Hour" in particular is too brief to provide a significant level of characterization or setting, yet it's brevity actually helps to accentuate the irony of a work in which the principle protagonist, Mrs. Mallard, believes that she has escaped the overbearing will and presence of her husband and reaffirms her devotion to live -- only to die suddenly at the unexpected presence of the latter at the story's conclusion.

Chopin utilizes such a plot to emphasize the situation irony with which her tale is based on; once Mrs. Mallard has determined that she will be able to live, her remaining years unrestrained without her husband (who she was told has been killed), the exact opposite of what one would anticipate happening to her does -- she dies when she sees her husband is very much alive. The apex of the irony which fuels the plot of "The Story of an Hour" is best illustrated in its final sentence.

The author had previously informed the reader that Mrs. Mallard had a heart affliction, which was why the news of her husband's purported "death" was given to her as gently as possible. Yet her own death is justified with a brilliant paradox that indicates just how ironic and far-from-anticipated such an outcome is.

"When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease -- of the joy that kills." The irony that powers this conflicting statement (after all, it is typically pain, not joy that kills) can be seen on multiple levels. The joy referred to is probably that which the doctors and the characters in the story perceived to be Mrs. Mallard's joy at seeing her husband alive. However, it was the shock that Mrs.

Mallard experienced at seeing her husband, and the swift retraction of the freedom and restrained life she had previously envisioned for herself, that actually kills her. Chopin employs similar measures of situation irony to support the most prevalent and important element of fiction in "Desiree's Baby," which is plot and conflict. In this short story, an abandoned girl of unknown origin grows to marry a wealthy plantation owner in Louisiana during the time of chattel slavery.

When the woman bears a child who bears resemblance to African-Americans, the reader, as well as the other characters, assumes that Desiree, the woman, is of African-American ancestry. Chopin employs a fatal, surprising ending, which is the exact opposite of what the reader and the characters in the story are expecting, to suddenly shift the plot with an ironic twist.

This twist of situation irony is the most compelling facet of "Desiree's Baby," which explains why the conflict in the plot is the most important element of fiction in this work. The following quotation underscores the degree of irony with which the plot of this short story is based upon.

After Desiree has tragically killed herself and her baby at her husband's scorn of her -- which is based on the assumption that she is African America -- the latter burns her belongings and comes across a letter from his mother (who was of a remote origin) which reveals that he, Armand, is of African-American ancestry. "…Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery." The irony of this quotation is also manifold.

On one level, the quote is ironic because Armand now knows his mother was African-American, while on another level, it indicates the exact opposite of what the reader and Armand is expecting of his origin since he all but murdered his wife and his son under the belief that it was she who was African-American.

Anton Chekhov's "The Darling," by contrast, largely depends on the usage of characterization to present a satire of the sense of the inane which exists (primarily) within women and within the regard which society has of such women.

The author employs a duality of characterization which functions on both the literal and figurative levels of interpretation to depict such a vacuity within the principle character, Olga Olenka Semyonovna -- a pretty, agreeable woman with no discernable personality of her own, other than an extreme mutability which allows her to adopt the proclivities of those she is around.

Consequently, Chekhov treats Olenak's exploits with a liberal dose of sarcasm that revolves around both her literal personality (or lack thereof), as well as her representation as an intellectually, emotionally inane woman. The passage in which the author is at his sardonic best while depicting the characterization of Olenka as a woman laughably devoid of any innate personality traits can be seen near the end of the story after our heroine has suffered the abandonment of three significant others in her life (two of which died).

After suffering a miserable existence with no one to project his or her values upon her, the following quotation demonstrates that the presence of a young boy is able to do just that for her.

"Now she had opinions of her own, and at supper she talked to Sasha's parents, saying how difficult the lessons were at the high schools…" The sarcasm (and intense humor in this passage) is that the opinions called Olenka's own are those of Sasha (the young boy), as the topics of conversation described readily attest to (since they are all about a boy's perception of school).

By making fun of Olenka's inability to formulate any opinions of her own, Chekhov is using her characterization to satirize the inane tendencies that exist within human nature. Fortunately, Chekhov expands the focus of "The Lady with the Little Dog' beyond mere humor and caricatures to approach the full potential of his considerable gift for writing.

The most important fictional element of this story is its moving theme of the dissolution of cynicism and jadedness due to the redeeming potency of love -- which several critics have noted is a motif.