A Womans Brief Freedom in The Story of an Hour Essay

The Story of an Hour, was written and narrated by Kate Chopin. Chopin utilized an omniscient point of view, while exhibiting various types of irony throughout the story. The story takes place in the 19th century, an era when it was acceptable for men to regulate their wives. The setting is in a house where a discontented housewife is restricted. Women were obligated to take care of their domicile and care for the children--this was their primary purpose as a wife. The story focuses on the reaction and emotions of Mrs. Mallard, the protagonist in the story who learns of the death of her spouse. The narrative begins with Josephine temperately (she does not want the news to trigger Mrs. Mallards heart condition) informing†¦show more content†¦Instead of creating an atmosphere that symbolizes death (dreariness), the writer chose to symbolize spring as: freshness, new beginnings, and liveliness. Mrs. Mallard enjoyed what she viewed from her window. To her this window symbolized independence--freedom from her dwelling. The house symbolizes the Mallards marriage. It contained baggage--physical and emotional, that held her back. The physical baggage of her spouse was gone. In order for Mrs. Mallard to be, Free! Body and soul free! (Chopin 16), she would need to get rid of the emotional memories also. Mrs. Mallard is sad that her husband is gone and She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death; (Chopin 14). However, she looked forward to her new and independent life. There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. (Chopin 14). Mrs. Mallard gleefully embraces the fact that she was no longer: attached, married, and even better she was no longer Mrs. Mallard or Brentlys wife. Louise was no longer defined by her husband. People would now see Louise not Brentlys wife. She was now Louise who was free, free, free! (Chopin 11). Louise would dictate her own life and the course she wanted her life to take. Louises character was not content with her marriage or her life. Being in an unequal marriage, where her spouse controlled her was something Louise did not agree with. She seemed to have anShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Realism In If I Were A Man By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1295 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout history, women have been fighting for equality and personal freedom in patriarchal societies. One avenue that feminist activist used to speak out against female oppression was literature. As G.H. Lewes put it in his 1852 literary work â€Å"The Lady Novelists,† â€Å"The advent of female literature promises womans view of life, womans experience: in other words, a new element† (Lewes). This new element was definitely propagated by two literary leaders for women’s rights in the Victorian Era feministRead MorePerspective of an Ideal Marriage Essay1660 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is the Ideal Marriage? Although marriage should be an equally enjoyable partnership, for both husband and wife the story of an hour reflects the nineteenth century view that marriage is an oppressive relationship where women are the victims. Even in today’s society, with women rights, ladies are still in their husbands’ shadow. Husbands are the head of the house and bread winner. Wives are the housekeeper. Today even thought a wife have rights she is still her husband’s maid. However, marriageRead More The Story of an Hour and The Hand Essay1161 Words   |  5 PagesThe â€Å"Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin and ‘†The Hand† by Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette are similar in theme and setting. Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette and Kate Chopin create the theme of obligatory love and the unhappiness it entails. Both stories illustrate the concealed emotions many women feel in their marriage yet fail to express them. The two stories take place in a sacred room of the house a nd both transpire in a brief amount of time. The differences between the two stories are seen through theRead MoreStory Of An Hour Critical Analysis1083 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of an Hour† Everyone has lost a loved one or has seen and experienced a situation in which another person has lost their loved one. In â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin, published in 1894, details that moment in a womans life when her world is shattered and the process of self-consciousness begins. Louise Mallard, wife of Richard Mallard, a successful businessman. Louise Mallard is a woman ahead of her time, by the standards of the 1890’s she should be happy. Her husband loves her;Read MoreThe Story Of An Hour And Still I Rise1449 Words   |  6 PagesComparative Texts How do â€Å"The Story of a Hour† and â€Å"Still I Rise† express the problems faced by women? Both texts express some of the struggles faced by the protagonist woman in their retrospective time periods. ‘Still I Rise’ is very empowering and mirrors Angelou’s own struggles with her lack of freedom. and how the strength of women will allow her to be treated as equal. However, ‘The Story of an Hour’, conveys its message of the oppression faced by women in a more subtle manner. It discussesRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin1159 Words   |  5 PagesThe short story â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† by Kate Chopin is about a woman who dies after finding out that her husband, believed to be deceased, is actually alive. The short story â€Å"The Fathers Confession,† by Guy de Maupassant is about a man who confesses to a crime he committed to his children in a letter after he passes away. A close reading of these stories reveals themes of repressive relationships and freedom. In addition, the reader gains insight through analyzi ng characters with use of technicalRead MoreSocial Injustice In The Story Of An Hour1181 Words   |  5 PagesThe Impact of the Social Injustices in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† Paulina Wright Davis, a women’s rights reformer in the nineteenth century, once said â€Å"we believe that a woman’s enforced inferiority in the marriage relation, not only wrongs her out of the best uses of her existence, but also cheats her master of the richest and noblest blessings of the nuptial union† (qtd. in Wayne, â€Å"Women Reformers†). This is what women, like Mrs. Mallard, dealt with during their lifetime. Much of what happened duringRead MoreThe Yellow Wall Paper And The Story Of An Hour1601 Words   |  7 PagesJanae Parham Instructor: Cherie Shields WR121 11/8/15 The Story of The Yellow Wallpaper Women have traditionally been known as the less dominant sex. Through history women have fought for equal rights and freedom. They have been stereotyped as being housewives, and bearers and nurturers of the children. Only recently with the push of the Equal Rights Amendment have women had a strong hold on the workplace alongside men. Many characters in literature are conceived from the tension women have facedRead MoreKate Chopins The Story of an Hour and Feminism in the 1800s 1318 Words   |  6 Pagespart of the short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin, which is a story that portrays women’s lack of freedom in the1800s. Women had no rights, and had to cater to all of their husband’s needs. The main character in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is a woman who suffers from heart trouble, named Mrs. Mallard. When Mrs. Mallard was told about her husband’s death, she was initially emotional, but because of her husband’s death she reaped freedom and became swept away with joy. The story is ironic becauseRead MoreWomens Role in Marriage1327 Words   |  6 Pagesearnings, inheritance, nor their freedom. Once married, often very young, the woman became one with her husband and followed his rules within and outside of the home. Similar to the present, there were levels of class, however, regardless of stature the bounding laws placed on a married woman remained intact. The author Kate Chopin demonstrated in her short story â€Å"The Story of An Hour† the emotional torment of these women during this time. Kate expressed the desire of freedom and independence that these

The Demon Haunted World And Silent Spring - 1430 Words

In the books The Demon-Haunted World and Silent Spring, the authors write about large issues facing the public in the time period. Rachel Carson faces the issue of pest control in the middle of the twentieth century. Insecticides are used in excess, permeate the environment, and it is commonly accepted that they have no ill consequences. Carson compiled the research of many scientists and showed, despite fierce opposition, that insecticides pose a high risk of destroying the environment and are harmful to humans. Carl Sagan writes about his concerns about the path society is taking away from scientific thinking into superstition and pseudoscience. He debunks popular thoughts about UFO’s, hallucinations, dogmatic con-men, and anti-science†¦show more content†¦Carl Sagan’s book The Demon-Haunted World covers why people think the way they do about paranormal claims, UFO’s, and pseudoscience. Sagan demonstrates that the pattern of thinking uncritically is no t limited to fringe claims, but is practiced throughout society to its detriment. Carl Sagan argues that it is critical that people change their habits â€Å"But if we don t practice these tough habits of thought, we cannot hope to solve the truly serious problems that face us - and we risk becoming a nation of suckers, up for grabs by the next charlatan who comes along† (Sagan 38). Peter Barton Hutt and Gregory Frantz argue that corporations have abused the critical faculties of Americans to promote a lifestyle of consumption and conformity to social spending: â€Å"In other words, the same human propensity for uncritical thought and conformity that has historically been exploited by religions and governments is today being capitalized upon by corporations to promote consumerism† (Hutt 83). Their position is reinforced by Sagan writing, throughout the book, that it is often profitable to those who provide the beliefs for others and it is in their best interests to dis courage individual thoughts. Silent Spring is a detailed analysis of the damages caused by pesticides to the environment. Rachel Carson explains that through the blind, unquestioning consumer culture, companies have sold deadly poisons with unapparent warning as a catch-all cure for anyShow MoreRelatedThe Story Of The Vase Essay1428 Words   |  6 Pagesdemolish his dream that enlivened verse and art. The red-hair turned around, leaving mirror, a terrible choice, she knew it. At the back of her head, she was trying her best not to think of a more worse notion that paralyzed her from living lately, it haunted her existence. It was a choice to forget as well as a choice not to. There she was alone, calm as a doll. 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A neighbor later told police that Willingham intermittently cried, â€Å"My babies!† then fell silent, as if he had â€Å"blocked the fire out of his mind.† Diane Barbee, returning to the scene, could feel intense heat radiating off the house. Moments later, the five windows of the children’s room exploded and flames â€Å"blew out,† as Barbee put it. WithinRead MoreTrial by Fire16445 Words   |  66 Pageswindow. Fire lashed through the hole. He broke another window; flames burst through it, too, and he retreated into the yard, kneeling in front of the house. A neighbor later told police that Willingham intermittently cried, â€Å"My babies!† then fell silent, as if he had â€Å"blocked the fire out of his mind.† Diane Barbee, returning to the scene, could feel intense heat radiating off the house. Moments later, the five windows of the children’s room exploded and flames â€Å"blew out,† as Barbee put it. 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Key Factors to a Supportive Environment Free Essays

Key factors that support speech, language and communication environment: 1. Your room/setting layout – what does your physical environment look like? The noise level – are there quieter and noisier areas, planned times or activities. Evidence: There are two main rooms that are in use during morning and afternoon sessions, the classroom and larger hall area. We will write a custom essay sample on Key Factors to a Supportive Environment or any similar topic only for you Order Now The classroom has a book corner with a child’s size couch and soft cushions on the floor. This area is ideally for quiet time and reading. The rest of the classroom and large hall allows for noisy and more social activities. Throughout the day there are planned adult lead activities, circle times, outdoor play, snack bar and lunch club. Which work on a rota based system. Quality of light – are play areas well lit for children to see ; communicate well with each other, see mouth movements, resources ; staff. Evidence: The classroom and main hall both allow for a substantial amount of natural light through large windows and also have more then one artificial light in either room. Space to move, expressively, with whole bodies, with and without speed Evidence: The main hall area is a large open space with a substantial amount of room for children to move freely and expressively. This room is used for more active activities and also for when outdoor play is restricted due to poor weather conditions. The children will use this area to build train tracks, stack blocks, act out role plays and imaginary games, as well as group games such as duck duck goose and ring a ring a roses. The outdoor area is also set up in a way that allows for all types of movement. There is an large space for bikes and smalls cars, which is also used for obstacle courses and tents. This is divided from the rest of the playground by log stumps that the children can also walk across. Resources and toys – is there a varied selection available for both indoor ; outdoor play. Evidence: Within the classroom and hall there is a large variety of resources and toys to cater for all the children. For example; a home corner, roll play area, mark making area, play dough and sand/water trays, block building, music corner, small world toys, ICT area book corner. The outside area has a large storage cupboard which allows us to alternate what goes outside to create interest and excitement. There is an outside book corner with bean bags and blankets, large wooden blocks for building, play house with kitchen and work bench, prams, bikes and large cars, balls, rackets, a table and chairs to encourage mark making, blackboard with chalk and a variety of playing apparatus’s. 2. Staff – Involvement/roles – how does everyone interact with children to promote communication. Evidence: Most children attending the pre-school will have an all about me book, which their key person and any other staff member are allowed assess. It contains information and pictures on the child’s life including family, pets, friends, likes and dislikes. The children also receive a settling in performer after two weeks of them attending the setting. Which goes over how they are doing and is sent home to their parents to read and comment on, then sent back in. This is kept in the child’s learning journey. The children are also given a chance to have their say on what they would like to do at pre-school, with the children’s planing board. Where any ideas that are given from the children are written on and then added to the planing in future sessions. We have a classroom rules board, illustrating the main rules of the setting. Which is positioned down low at the children’s eye level. There is also a ‘how are you feeling today’ poster with photos and illustrations of different facial expressions, again at the children’s eye level. We also try to operate with a positive language approach when reminding children of rules, for example saying ‘walking feet and kind hands’ instead of ‘no running and don’t hit each other. ‘ Staff responsibilities – does a key person system operate to support your children? Evidence: A key person system is operational within the setting, each key person has on average 11 children under their care and are also responsible for the overall care of every child. Observations are made on every child and logged in their learning journeys, which are kept in a locked cupboard. Planning daily routines – are there times of the day to support communication eg. greetings and goodbyes, toilet asking times? Small/large group and individual activities? Evidence: Our setting works on an rota based system, in which there are set times for snack bar, lunch club, tidy up times, free play, adult led activities, nappy changes, circle times and outdoor play. This helps the children and staff to get into a routine. Who ever is responsible for nappy changes that day will also be reminding children to go to the toilet, both are logged in a daily folder. The children are welcomed in the mornings/afternoons and self register with name cards. At the end of both morning and afternoon sessions the story of the week is read and the children can give thanks in prayer. The children are then dismissed when their allocated parent/carer arrives. Training opportunities? Child Development, Safeguarding, Impairment, Activity intervention awareness. Evidence: All staff are given the opportunity to attend relevant training that is beneficial for the setting and themselves. I myself have already attended four training courses since joining in September 2012. Certificates given at the completion of the training days and are displayed on the wall inside the classrooms setting. We also have a weekly policy quiz, with a different quiz selected each week for staff to read through and then be tested on. 4. Parent carer involvement – Evidence: The Pre-school welcomes parent and carer involvement within and outside of the setting, especially during the festive period. We often have parent helpers for the day that provide us with an extra pare of hands. The pre-school also recently held a fundraising event at the local community center, where we saw an overabundance of support from parents/carers. How does the setting engage with parents to share activity ideas, rhymes, resources, books, event dates, news, parent’s language needs, knowledge ; expertise Evidence: Each week parents and staff receive the ‘weekly update sheet’ via email, which provides information on the up and coming week. This information consists of the theme of the week, number, letter sound and shape, story focus, our star of the week (child), important dates, resources needed for any activities planned, how they can support their child and a photo gallery of what their children have been up to in the previous week. 5. Language itself – Identify the types of language/methods of communication used in the setting; facial, body, creative, expressive and behavioral. Evidence: At the entrance to the classroom there is a mood board on the wall with the phase ‘how do you feel today’. The board displays a variety of facial expressions and words for the children to relate to and caters especially to children still developing their speech or children that have English as an additional language. We also have a mark making area with creative resources for the children to express themselves. Throughout the setting there are posters and images reminding the children of the pre-school rules, for example use kind hands, put hands up during circle time, line up in a straight line and two children at the I. T station. Additional Language- Is there support within the setting for children with additional languages. Evidence: All resources accessible to the children are labelled with the relevant wording of the contents and a photo or picture to support visual aid. Around the main classroom we have numerals 1-10 in additional languages and greetings/farewells in multiple languages. When the children join the setting their parents/careers are asked if they speak any additional languages or if English isn’t their first spoken language. During circle times, we will often greet each child in an additional language. How to cite Key Factors to a Supportive Environment, Essay examples

Systemic and sociocultural issues free essay sample

In relation to individuals struggling with fear and sadness there are several surrounding factors that may play a role on the individual’s experience. This assignment will present a case study of a client ‘Sally’ seeking counselling due to issues related to fear and sadness. A description of Sally and her background along with details of the concern which is causing her situation relating to fear and sadness will be presented. Systemic and sociocultural issues such as gender, culture and sexuality are of importance and have an impact on the client’s experience. In addition, factors such as family and personal relationships of the client will be explored. To conclude the assignment I will summarise my chosen approach of counselling that I feel is necessary to Sally and which would suit her better, whether it be one to one counselling or family therapy. Furthermore explaining and justifying why and how the chosen approach will work well with her. Sally is a 31-year-old white single mother who was brought up in a small village in a rural area with both parents and her younger sister who now has a husband and children of her own. Sally lives alone with her children in the same village, close to her parents and sister who she regularly visits. Whilst Sally has a close relationship with her family, she feels that her family do not understand her distress leaving her feeling very lonely and isolated and longing for a family unit with her own children and a husband. Sally was in a stable 8 year relationship with the father of her children, when he suddenly left the family home after a minor argument and decided not to return, leaving her alone with a 12-month-old baby and a 5-year-old. Eventually the children’s’ father got in contact, stating that he could not handle the pressures of family life. Two years on and after many months of Sally pretending to be okay, she sought help at a local counselling service. Sally hopes to gain happiness and confidence to meet somebody else to enjoy her life with and be like the other ‘normal’ families in the close-knit, white British community she lives in. During Sally’s first counselling session, she explains that she feels lonely, isolated and scared that she will never meet anybody else due to her being a single mother. Sally proceeds stating that all she ever wanted in life was a ‘normal’ family unit consisting of both parents and a couple of children, similar to the one she grew up in and that her sister has. Despite the fact that Sally feels that she has done an excellent job raising her children, she is embarrassed that she is a single mother in her 30’s, feels unfeminine and unattractive due to gaining weight through comfort eating and does not trust males, thinking they are all going to leave her and not find her sexually attractive. Sally wishes she could have a ‘normal’ life. Vossler, A. (2010) pg199 quotes ‘what is considered as ‘normal’ or family life is dependent on prevailing cultural values and societal understandings. ’ Therefore systemic therapy or counselling will allow Sally to have a different perspective on her situation; a systemic idea which exhibits there is not just one ‘truth’ or a ‘right’ way to view situations, Vossler, A (2010). Whilst Sally’s problems may be located back to her own family system relationship, sociocultural issues may also be a factor. For example, Sally growing up with her sibling and biological parents, is considered and is seen as ‘normal’ by Sally and her family in the rural community she lives in, therefore leaving her feeling embarrassed and excluded in a cultural, race and gender context, due to the majority of the other white females of Sally’s age in the community being married with children. As cited from Barker, M. (2010) states that those who try to fit into the stereotypes of their gender most closely often have the most problems. Therefore in Sally’s case, she desires to play the typical feminine role of mother and wife similarly to her own mother displayed as Sally was growing up, now experiencing fear and sadness as she has not fulfilled the gender and cultural role of nurturing that she perceives as normal in society and that she feels her family expect of her. A counsellor may wish to reflect upon this issue as one to one therapy first of all, proceeding as a systemic family therapy with Sally’s close family in a circular interaction as seen in video Excerpt 13. This appears to allow the counsellor to gain a broader understanding of the family background and notions. Also cited from Barker, M. (2010) it is stated that those existing outside the cultural norm are often stigmatised by society, perhaps socially unaccepted, often resulting in emotional difficulties such as the onset of fear and sadness, which in Sally’s case could be indeed relevant as she perceives herself as not fitting in with her community possibly fearing that she has socially excluded herself from her own family structure. On the other hand, a sociocultural issue such as age could be causing an impact on Sally’s problems; Sally could be feeling too old to meet what is expected of her as a white mother in her 30’s. Sally’s age along with her view on her sister’s life, with that being a systemic issue could be causing problems for Sally around family pride. Sally is living unhappy as a single mother, whereas her younger sister is happily married with children. Within a social context, sexuality may be an issue for Sally, as she feels unattractive and has no trust in men, this could leave her questioning her own sexuality and whether or not she actually wants a sexual and emotional relationship with a male or whether she would be a happier meeting a female to build and share a family unit with. Therapy with a heterosexual therapist could be a problem in this aspect, as cited by Evans and Barker (2007) in Barker, M (2010); they found that heterosexual therapists expressed concern about lesbian, gay or bisexual clients becoming parents. As taken from Barker, M (2010), referring to a systemic approach from a constructivist position, each person has their own individual view of the world. This implies that there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to perceive negative experiences, but a variety of possible views and stories that are all subjectively ‘true’ and in line with the individual context. In Sally’s case, this is her family background and own assumptions of what is expected of her within the rural community and general family norms. In addition, a therapist from a different background or culture such as a multi-cultural urban area where there may be many single white mother’s, may perceive Sally’s issue as ‘normal’ life, causing him or her to be unable to display an empathetic understanding to Sally, which brings me to discuss the most appropriate therapy method of working with Sally and her problems. If I was a counsellor working with Sally I would aim to establish a collaborative relationship to facilitate helpful therapeutic conversations. This is referred to as a basic tenet of working systemically cited from Vossler, A (2010). I would also aspire for a one-to-one counselling relationship rather than family therapy, utilising a person-centred approach therapy, looking closely at the systemic issue that being the community Sally grew up in along with the way she coped and dealt with her relationship breakdown. Welcoming open-mindedness and empathetic listening and questioning techniques to assist in building rapport with Sally I would firstly explore how and why Sally began to experience symptoms of fear and sadness, eventually leading to Sally potentially seeing her situation from another perspective. It is not about ‘getting it right’ in this process, and a systemic counsellor and psychotherapist will not try to impose normative ideas or specified solutions, as cited by Vossler, A (2010)pg. 205. As seen in Excerpt 15 (video) (D240), family therapy appeared to be effective whilst working with Sharmila’s issues as it allowed the therapist to gain a wider context of problems she had to work with, however in Sally’s case I wouldn’t feel family therapy would be necessary for Sally’s sadness, due to gender and community expectations being issues that are of more importance and relevance in Sally’s case rather than what Sally’s family’s thoughts are. During Excerpt 15(video) (D240), the second therapist that spoke with Sharmila approached the counselling session in a person-centred way which proved to be effective, as Sharmila began to open up when she realised she could trust the therapist, whereas the male therapist appeared quite pushy and interrogating, although the male therapist was unaware that Sharmila’s issues stemmed around males, this may have also been a reason for Sharmila not engaging with him as she may have had lack of trust in males. I can relate this issue to Sally as she has mistrust in males due to her relationship breakdown, she may not feel comfortable communicating problems with the opposite sex. In order to attend to systemic and sociocultural issues, particularly community/culture, gender and age I would ask Sally questions such as ‘what do other females of your age with children living in your area think about you situation? ’ or ‘do you experience negative comments about having no father to help raise your children? ’. Without appearing critical, I would ask these questions to try to develop Sally’s thinking on a much larger scale rather than the fixed identity she feels she has and the stereotypical perception that is expected of her in the small village. Barker, M (2010) pg. 232 cites ‘some people experience their identities as very fixed, others as fluid and changeable. Difficulties can occur when holding rigidly to an identity and when expressing it flexibly in a world which sees it as fixed’. Consequently, in Sally’s case she could feel her identity should be similar to those around her and not what it is, being labelled as a ‘single mother’ causing her symptoms of fear and sadness. Hence the questions within a systemic approach that I ask may help Sally adopt a different perception on white females of her age. Another basic tenet of working systemically as cited from Vossler, A (2010) is for me to emphasise on the importance of language in generating meaning, for example the label ‘single mother’ and the way one interprets this term may influence the way in which problems are experienced in families and other systems, such as Sally’s cultural and community ‘norms’, therefore it is of importance that as a counsellor I respect this value, moreover become familiar with the notions of social constructionism. Reflecting upon my chosen counselling client, I conclude that one-to-one therapy is the most appropriate in her case. This decision was attained from previous material studied throughout the module which I feel has led me to have a reasonable understanding of various counselling approaches in order for me to adopt an effective counselling approach to clients with differing sociocultural and systemic issues. In regards to working with Sally, taking into account her family and social context, I did not feel it was necessary to involve others throughout the therapy process, the reason being is that I feel Sally had more than enough issues to deal with such as community and culture, expectations, gender, self-identity therefore if Sally was to participate in family therapy this may result in fear and sadness being prolonged due to hearing how her family feel about her problems. This would also defeat my whole purpose of establishing a close therapeutic relationship with Sally as the focus would be on the family rather than Sally as an individual. (2003 words)