The Concept of Change Through Nature in The Story of an Hour and The Storm by Kate Chopin
Change has always been a revolutionary concept in our world. Where the transformation of a familiar force into something entirely foreign is a perplexing idea. Kate Chopin evokes this feeling of mysticality. Through her pieces, "The Story of an Hour" and "The Storm," by introducing her readers to the concept of change through nature.
The female protagonists of these works are embodied by the transformations in weather. Where one feels empowered at the sight of a flourishing landscape. And another shows dominance when approached by thundering storms. A familiar, supernatural force comes into being as this theme of femininity ties in with the rapid changes of nature. Chopin evokes the character of Mother Nature within her female figures through personification, humanizing the weather by relating its versatility with a dominance that stems from femininity. Through the actions of Mrs. Mallard and Calixta, the audience is able to understand the overall empowerment given to women; they embody a figure greater in power than any human force, swaying the Earth to and fro with powers of growth and prosperity.
The embodiment of Mother Nature is best displayed by the flourishing of the world around the human race. As flowers bloom petal by petal and large oaks grow from tiny saplings, the feminine figure is surrounded and empowered by spring-the season of renewal and rebirth. In "The Story of an Hour," Mrs. Mallard is similarly invigorated by the imagery of springtime outside of her window. After she hears the news regarding the death of her husband, she rushes upstairs and instantly looks to the "open square before her house" (Chopin 556) for solace. Instead of looking for words of encouragement from her sister, Josephine, she slinks upstairs to be consoled by the image outside her "open window" (556). Just as Mother Nature is comforted by the sight of blooming flora, Mrs. Mallard holds the same quality, using the outside world to soothe her grief and initial shock of the news.
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The constant repetition of the word 'open' signifies this need for a connection with the wilderness, instead of being restricted inside. Mrs. Mallard finds hope within the limitless nature of the outside world, looking beyond her window to the skies, for an answer to her husband's sudden death. As she is stuck within her own thoughts, the audience is greeted with the image of the protagonist in a "comfortable, roomy armchair" (556). The sight of the armchair displays a form of relaxation to Mrs. Mallard, but the word choice Chopin uses offers another meaning. Using the term 'roomy' implies that Mrs. Mallard is a petite woman compared to the oversized chair, which consumes her in size when she sits down. As the chair overpowers her, forcing her to feel inhabited "by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul" (556), she becomes clouded in worry.
This displays Mrs. Mallard's connection with the figure of Mother Nature, as her veiled emotions show restriction to the confining features of the piece of furniture; she feels weight as she is trapped inside the walls of her own home, as well as the walls of her broken marriage. Mrs. Mallard hopes to seek natural beauty rather than idly sit within the barriers of her room, just as Mother Nature does as she spreads her pure splendor throughout the world.
Mrs. Mallard begins her period of empowerment by showing mercy and sympathy for her deceased husband, describing the scene as a "storm of grief [that] had spent itself" (556). Chopin's usage of the word 'storm' stands out, as it is a contrasting concept from the usual serenity of Mother Nature. Whereas the supernatural figure is typically shown to be a merciful, maternal character, the topic of natural disasters comes to mind with the mention of storms. Relating back to Mrs. Mallard, the death of her husband triggers a calamity inside of the female protagonist, bringing forth ideas contrasting with common normalities of femininity. Instead of remaining in despair about the death, she is struck by sudden realizations of freedom and escape.
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The Concept of Change Through Nature in The Story of an Hour and The Storm by Kate Chopin. (2023, May 31). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/the-concept-of-change-through-nature-in-the-story-of-an-hour-and-the-storm-by-kate-chopin/
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