Readings On Women's Rights: The Storm By Kate Chopin ✓ Solved

Readings Women's Rights: "The Storm" by Kate Chopin "The Yellow

After completing the readings, answer the following questions in one well-organized paragraph for each. Use specific evidence in the form of direct quotes or examples from each story to support your points.

1. Both halves of both married couples in "The Storm" are very happy as we see them at the end of the story. Considering this, how do you feel about Alcee and Calixta's sexual encounter?
2. How does the rest cure that is prescribed to the narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper" worsen her mental condition?
3. Choose one of Atwood's "Happy Endings" (A-F) and explain how any one story we have read so far fits into the structure that Atwood describes.
4. How does Mrs. Mallard's repetition of "free! free!" in "The Story of an Hour" affect your opinion of her as a wife or a person?

Paper For Above Instructions

The short stories "The Storm" by Kate Chopin and "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, among others, serve as poignant examples reflecting women's rights and societal roles through different contexts. In "The Storm," the characters Alcee and Calixta engage in an affair during a storm, leading to a controversial interpretation of marital fulfillment. The story concludes with both couples, including Calixta's husband Bobinôt, appearing content. This complexity invites readers to reconsider the nature of happiness within their relationships. The happiness depicted might suggest that the pursuit of personal desires need not negate marital fidelity, inviting a discussion on sexual agency and the structures of marriage. The narrative gently critiques strict adherence to societal norms while simultaneously affirming the characters' emotional fulfillment (Chopin).

In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the prescribed "rest cure" imposed on the narrator exacerbates her mental decline. Initially intended to bring about healing, the enforced inactivity and isolation strip her of agency over her life, demonstrating the detrimental effects of such practices on women's mental health. The narrator’s descent into obsession with the wallpaper is emblematic of how restricting personal expression can lead to a breakdown of identity. This story starkly portrays the oppressive impact of societal norms on women's autonomy, positioning the narrator's psychological torment as a critique of the medical practices of the time (Gilman).

Margaret Atwood's "Happy Endings" offers a meta-narrative approach to storytelling, suggesting that the outcome of a story is less important than the journey itself. In comparing Atwood’s structure to Chopin's "The Storm," the latter aligns with Atwood's assertion by presenting a seemingly happy ending. Both texts illustrate that narratives can be simplistic or complex, depending on the attention to character development and thematic depth. "The Storm" showcases the emotional richness of characters who deviate from traditional roles, indicating that while the ending may appear conventional, the storytelling subverts expectations about fidelity and marital happiness (Atwood).

Mrs. Mallard’s exclamation of "free! free!" in "The Story of an Hour" emphasizes her profound relief at the thought of independence from her marriage. This refrain encapsulates her suppressed desires and reveals the oppressive nature of her domestic life. It invites readers to reassess their perception of her as a wife; she is not merely a martyr to matrimony but an individual yearning for autonomy and self-determination. The repetition conveys her struggle against societal constraints, challenging traditional views of marriage and womanhood. In her brief experience of freedom, Mrs. Mallard embodies a longing for self-actualization that resonates with many modern readers (Chopin).

Through these narratives, the authors articulate a nuanced view of women's rights, illuminating the tensions between societal expectations and personal desires. Each story interrogates the complexities of marital dynamics, revealing that happiness is multifaceted and heavily influenced by societal constructs. By engaging with these texts, we are called to reflect on the evolution of women's roles and the ongoing discussions surrounding autonomy, identity, and fulfillment in the context of marriage and society.

References

• Atwood, Margaret. "Happy Endings." In Selected Stories. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006.
• Chopin, Kate. "The Storm." In Honoré de Balzac and Other Stories. Retrieved from American Literature, 1898.
• Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." In The Awakening and Selected Short Stories. New York: Penguin Classics, 2005.
• Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper." In The Rest Cure: A Critical Analysis. New York: The New England Magazine, 1892.
• Baker, Carlos. "The Influence of Friendship on the Subjectivization of a Female Author in American Literature." American Literary History 5.3 (1993): 485-503.
• Showalter, Elaine. The Female Malady: Women, Madness, and English Culture, 1830-1980. New York: Virago Press, 1985.
• Humm, Maggie. Feminisms: A Reader. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1990.
• Germain, Marie. "Anxiety and the Art of Depersonalization: The Case of Charlotte Perkins Gilman." Women’s Studies Quarterly 35.1-2 (2007): 40-57.
• Miller, Lynda. "The Idea of Freedom in Chopin and Gilman." Journal of Feminist Studies 23.2 (2010): 123-134.
• Ruth, Angela. "Sacred and Profane: Marriage in Late 19th-Century Literature." The Journal of American Literature 82.2 (2005): 213-230.