Marriage as Captivity:

The Short Fiction of O'Henry and Chopin

The short stories "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry and "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin explore the nuances of married life in memorable and plaintive manners. At first glance, these two short stories appear to be very different and portray the institution of marriage in dramatically distinct ways. However, the reality is that each story looks at a trend which can exist within a union between two people: the trend of captivity in marriage. Both Henry and Chopin's stories demonstrate the prevalence of captivity in marriage and how one's marriage partner can quickly become one's cell mate. Each other demonstrates a certain level of the imprisonment which can exist and thrive within marriage and how damaging this can be when allowed to thrive.

The "Gift of the Magi" at first glance appears to be a...
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