The Symbolism In Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour

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In literature, when it comes to delivering a powerful message to the audience and developing a feeling of deeper meaning within the text, nothing quite gets the job done like the use of a symbol. A symbol, when used in the right hands, can leave the audience with a better and more meaningful understanding of the themes behind a text as well as help to reveal a deeper characterization of the characters in a text. This can be seen in Kate Chopin’s aptly named short story, “The story of an hour”. In it, Chopin uses an overarching symbol of an open window to symbolize freedom as well as new opportunity while simultaneously using said symbol to expose the main character, Louise, and her deep desire for freedom and a life of happiness away from her …show more content…
The woman in question is able to find this sense of meaning through the symbol of an open window, for when she gazes through it she is overcome with the thought of freedom and new opportunities available to her after the death of her husband. A new life. Chopin very cleverly utilizes the image of an open window to symbolize freedom to the reader through cheerful depictions of blue skies, fluffy clouds, and treetops contrasting against the stark historical reality of patriarchy and oppression in Louise’s time. The window is not only used to represent a deeper theme of freedom and oppression within Chopin’s work but is also gives the reader a deeper sense of insight into the character of Louise and helps to show what it is that she craves as well as how she truly feels about her marriage despite the standards of her society. By using the power of indirect suggestion and association, literary artists have been able to create a sense of deeper meaning as well as a stronger association of characters with specific traits in their works for centuries and this dual insight brought about by Chopin’s skillful use of symbolism is no exception. If anything, this analysis of the use of symbolism in “the story of an hour” just goes to show that stories, especially literary fiction, can contain deeper multitudes than one might have ever thought possible if you just stop to look closely. So be careful when reading, or you just might miss something that could change the way you look at life
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