Visions of Vitality and Morality

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 though her husband is very supportive and understanding, he cannot force her to communicate hence he accepts her move hoping it will improve her condition: "She told the husband these thoughts. He was attuned to her; he understood such things. He said he understood." Her helplessness and general withdrawal from the family are emphasized when she realizes that she cannot find a role that suits her: "she tried these personalities on like costumes, then discarded them." Again, as in the case of Chopin's story, the conflict is internal as the character is revolting against itself. At first, the woman thinks she cannot handle the roles of mother and wife, but gradually she realizes that she cannot find any role she feels comfortable with. The emotional lack of attachment to her husband and son are soon extended; she no longer feels comfortable with anything in her life.

The main theme, that of dissatisfaction with one's life, is greatly emphasized by the mood of the story. The mood is created especially by the choice of setting; the plot takes place only inside the family house. The woman never leaves the house, she moves from one room to another just like a caged animal trying to escape but not knowing how. In fact, there is deep symbolism related to this aspect; wherever she goes, the woman is still inside thus still caged. Also, the omniscient narrator creates a heavy atmosphere by using little dialogue, and extensive descriptive passages that are meant to allow the reader into the intimacy of the main character i.e. The woman. In this sense, her final decision to take her own life could be interpreted as an attempt to escape and be free.

Depression is a serious problem which cannot be avoided. Also, isolation and a total lack of communication cannot fix it; on the contrary, they only make it worse. The woman in Godwin's story neither understands nor accepts her own anxieties, and this makes her an unfit parent and a terrible wife. Through the use of foreshadowing, Godwin suggests a possible ending for her story. The woman's isolation is deepened day by day thus the ending is not surprising. She does not only reject the world, she rejects herself. By abandoning her husband and son, she loses her self-confidence and loses touch with reality. The final thing she does before she commits suicide is cook dinner for her family, do the dishes and laundry; there is interesting symbolism in these apparently irrelevant details. The woman seems to realize how much she has hurt her family, and makes a final effort to make it up to them. Her gesture reflects her complete disenchantment with the world since she can no longer relate to anything or anyone; moreover, her final act is a symbol of her inner struggle between what she feels she should be doing, and what she actually can do.

Faye is the protagonist of "A Secret Sorrow." Her relationship with boyfriend Kai is very strong and overall happy. They are the point in their lives when they feel they can plan their lives together; however, to Faye, happiness is directly and inextricably linked to having children. When Faye finds out she cannot procreate, Kai is supportive and loving: "Faye, we're in this together-you and I. Don't you see that? it's not just your problem, it's ours." This is the secret sorrow that Karen van der Zee points at in the title of the story. Despite the fact that Kai openly expresses his desire to be by her side, Faye thinks she has disappointed him: "Kai, I...I can't live all my life with your regret and your disappointment. Every time we see some pregnant woman, every time we're with somebody else's children I'll feel I've failed you! I..." Faye receives reassuring, but cannot understand why Kai wants to be with her since she cannot give him any children: "You have a choice, don't you see that? You don't have to marry me. You could marry someone else and have children of your own."

Faye has to accept that cannot have children, and this thought makes her grieve because she has always wanted to be a mother, and has always associated happiness and fulfillment with the experience of motherhood. Coming to terms with the fact that what you want the most can never happen is anything but an easy task. However Faye is not egotistical; she also considers the feelings of her boyfriend, Kai, and comes to the conclusion that she cannot marry him because she knows he wants a child of his own, and she cannot give him that: "I can't be what you want me to be. We can't have the kind of life you want...I'm so afraid...you'll be disappointed." Nonetheless, in the end Kai manages to convince Faye of his love for her, and the two get married: "Why do you think I want you for my wife...because you're some kind of baby factory? What kind of man do you think I am? I love you, not your procreating ability. So we have a problem. Well, we'll learn to deal with it, one way or another." They also adopt three children who desperately need love and warmth: "In their faces Faye could read the tragedies of war and death and poverty. They were hungry for love, hungry for nourishment and care. At night they woke in terror, screaming, their memories alive in sleep."