Love, Dilemmas, and Irony: Exploring “The Story of an Hour”

The two stories "The Story of An Hour" and " Hills Like White Elephants" are different from each other and tell us about different life events, however, if we trace all the moments along the stories we would be able to see that they are similar to some extent. The similarity can be found in the common ideas and themes such as relationship, love, dreams, freedom, as well as, literary styles and methods used by the authors to convey these ideas.

Both stories are grounded on the description of couples, whether they are spouses or just partners, whose love relationships are complicated due to some kind of problems or dilemma. Both authors masterfully reveal these problems. In the story "Hills Like White Elephants" the dilemma comes out of the verbal duet, between a young woman, called Jig, and her partner, the American. The author does not use the straight words to point to the problem.

We only can guess from their dialogue that the problem lies in their different attitude towards her pregnancy that makes them argue if she has to do an abortion. The young woman is reluctant to do the operation. From her words we can understand that she is hesitating, probably, because she, as any woman, has dreamed about a family, a loving husband, and a baby all her life. And now, under the man's pressure, she has to give up her dreams. Her doubts are expressed in constant questions: "Then what will we do afterward?", "And if I do it you`ll be happy and the things will be like they were and you`ll love me?' As for the American, his approach to the happy relationships is quite the opposite.

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He prefers life without parenthood responsibilities - free love, traveling, entertaining. " He looked at his bags... There were labels on them from all hotels where they had spent nights." He does not want to lose his freedom, and we see him throughout the story insisting on surgery:"I think it's the best thing to do...", " I know you would not mind it, Jig..."," You do not have to be afraid." In the story" The Story of An Hour" we also do not see the straight depiction of spouses` family life but we can imagine it through changes in Mrs. Mallard's mood, mixture of thoughts and feelings she experiences after she is told that her husband has died in an accident. No doubt that she is shocked. "When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone" to think over the sudden change in her life.

No doubt that she is sad because her husband loved her, and she had loved him - sometimes. Then a 11 moment of illumination" appears that reveals her feelings hidden deeply in her heart: "Where 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." And then - a feeling of freedom overwhelmed her: "free, free, free". So, in both stories we can tracethe idea that ruined dreams, relationships and lives can be a result of a repressive love. The similarity can also be found in the way the authors use the description of nature.

The imagery of nature helps to express the characters` inner state, emphasize their feelings, and create the tone of the story. At the beginning of the Hemingway`s story Jig and the American sit on the side of the station where " there was no shade and no trees". This side looks like lifelessand can be associated with their senseless way of life. When Jig stands up and walks to the other end of the station she sees "fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro."'"' Far away, beyond the river, were mountains. The shadow of the cloud moved across the field of grain and she saw the river through the trees.

"This landscape symbolizes life and hope, and seems like it prompts her to make the right decision. In the Chopin's story we also see the picture of nature right before something very important comes to Mrs. Mallard`s mind." She could see in the open square before her house the top of trees with new spring life. ...There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other in the west facing her window." Looking at the sky she realizes that these patches are the signs of an approaching freedom." But she felt it creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scenes, the color that filled the air." Here comes the time to appreciate a masterful technique of irony with the help of which both authors remind us that life is not always what we expect and can be changed dramatically at any moment.

In the Chopin`s story we see how unexpectedly the heroine`s life has changed. Her joy of freedom does not last long, she only has time to suggest how happy she will be. "Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own". She breaths a quick prayer and with an expression of "triumph in her eyes" "descended the stairs" and ... dies from a heart attack when she sees her husband alive. The irony of this event lies,probably, in the truth that she only can find an absolute freedom in death. In the Hemingway`s story the speech of the heroes also shows the use of irony. Throughout the dialogue they seem to constantly change the subjects of their conversation.

They talk of the things that do not seem very significant :drinks that "taste of licorice", mountains that" looked like white elephants". But we understand that their minds and thoughts are only concentrated on something more serious coming into their lives like her pregnancy, operation, and their further relationships. 'That's the only thing that bothers us. It's the only thing that makes us unhappy",the man thinks. Ironically, the more he insists on the operation, the more she realizes that she is not loved enough, and we hope that this will push her to make the right choice.

In conclusion, in both stories in spite of many differences we can observe certain similarities, among which common themes of love, relationships, freedom, constant crave for a change, as well as the authors` masterful literary techniques.

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