Institution of Marriage According to Chopin

The institution of marriage has historically carried powerful implications of patriarchy. Especially in turn of the century America, marriage was seen to largely serve the interests of male desire and the impulse for procreation. Within this scope, very little room was left to discuss the female desire. Indeed, the pressure for a woman to ultimately be taken as a wife by a reputable man was a strong force underlying a great many marriages. This is the same force that we find at the center of Kate Chopin's 1894 short story, "The Story of An Hour." In Chopin's highly allegorical piece, the female protagonist offers an inadvertent and unabashed critique of marital patriarchy simply by expressing involuntary joy at the death of her husband.

Discussion:

Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" suggests that the affection which can emerge in a marriage of social convenience may...
[ View Full Essay]