Assignment #4--Criticism

In "The Story of an Hour" biographical criticism helps readers pay more closer attention to certain aspects of the story through the analyze of the author's life. This story would be interpreted well with biographical criticism because it helps readers feel the intensity in the story and relate certain parts in the story to the author's life. By analyzing Kate Chopin's life readers learn the rough life she had. For example, Kate Chopin was raised by her mother's family because her father died when she was young. Then in 1883, her husband died and she was left to raise six children on her own. As readers understand this aspect of her life, readers will pay more closer attention to things that reflect back to her life. For example, in the story Mrs. Mallard's husband died. This can help readers reflect back to Kate Chopin's husband's death. The grief Mrs. Mallard was filled with and felt in the story is probably the same way Kate Chopin felt when her husband died. Readers can take Mrs. Mallard for Kate Chopin and Mr. Mallard for Chopin's husband. One of the elements emphasized in the story by this approach is the pain Mrs. Mallard feels for the lost of her husband. For example, the author describes Mrs. Mallard locking herself in her room as soon as she hears the news of her husbands death. The author also describes Mrs. Mallard drinking. "...[S]he was drinking in a very elixir of life through that open window"(317). This is probably the same thing Kate Chopin did when she found out her husband died as we learn through biographical criticism. Another element emphasized by this approach is the freedom Mrs. Mallard gained knowing her husband died. For example, the author says "Free! Body and soul free!"(317). Through biographical criticism we can pay more closer attention to this aspect as we can recognize Kate Chopin's freedom from her husband when he died as well. Another element emphasized by this critical approach is Mrs. Mallard's reminisce for her husband. The author states "...[T]he kind, tender hands folded in death; the face that had never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead"(317). If readers pay attention to this aspect of the story after analyzing the author's life they would probably sense Kate Chopin's feelings and love for her husband we he died. Readers would find Mrs. Mallard's reminisce for her husband the intensity Kate Chopin felt when she wrote this story. A new insight readers gain through this application is that Kate Chopin wrote this story based on her own experience when she lost her husband. Another insight readers gain is that it seems as Kate Chopin hoped to one day be together with her husband again when she died as the story describes Mrs. Mallard's husband appearing to be alive in the ending of the story when Mrs. Mallard died. Another insight readers gain is Kate Chopin likes to spend time alone by herself. For example, in the story Mrs. Mallard locked herself in her room when she learned her husband died and didn't allow anyone to come along with her. Mrs. Mallard even told her sister to go away as she was begging her to open the door. This shows how she likes to be alone which is probably true for Kate Chopin as well. From analyzing the author's life through biographical criticism, readers learn a lot of new things about the story and the author.