The Story of an Hour

E68145
American literature literary work short story

The Story of an Hour is a widely studied short story by Kate Chopin that explores themes of marriage, freedom, and female autonomy through the emotional awakening of a woman who believes her husband has died.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
1894 – The Story of an Hour 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf American literature ⓘ
literary work ⓘ
short story ⓘ
author Kate Chopin ⓘ
centralEvent Louise Mallard’s realization of personal freedom ⓘ
report of Brently Mallard’s death ⓘ
unexpected return of Brently Mallard ⓘ
character Brently Mallard ⓘ
Josephine ⓘ
Louise Mallard ⓘ
Richards ⓘ
climax Louise Mallard’s sudden death ⓘ
countryOfOrigin United States of America ⓘ
surface form: United States
criticalReception considered an early feminist text ⓘ
explores conflict between social duty and selfhood ⓘ
constraints of 19th-century marriage ⓘ
female desire for independence ⓘ
firstPublicationYear 1894 ⓘ
genre feminist literature ⓘ
realist fiction ⓘ
short fiction ⓘ
hasSymbol heart disease as symbol of emotional repression ⓘ
open window as symbol of freedom ⓘ
includedIn many anthologies of American short stories ⓘ
literaryMovement Realism ⓘ
surface form: American realism

proto-feminism ⓘ
mainCharacter Louise Mallard ⓘ
motif heart trouble ⓘ
open window ⓘ
spring imagery ⓘ
narrativePerspective third-person limited ⓘ
notableFor brief length ⓘ
psychological depth ⓘ
surprise ending ⓘ
originalLanguage English ⓘ
originalTitle The Story of an Hour self-link ⓘ
setting American home ⓘ
late 19th century ⓘ
theme emotional awakening ⓘ
female autonomy ⓘ
freedom ⓘ
identity ⓘ
marriage ⓘ
patriarchy ⓘ
tone ambivalent ⓘ
ironic ⓘ
widelyStudiedIn American literature courses ⓘ
women’s studies courses ⓘ

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Kate Chopin → notableWork → The Story of an Hour ⓘ
The Story of an Hour → originalTitle → The Story of an Hour self-link ⓘ
Kate Chopin → publicationYearOfWork → The Story of an Hour ⓘ
this entity surface form: 1894 – The Story of an Hour