Browse our Free Essay examples and check out our Writing tools to get your assignments done.
the story is the story of an hour by kate chopin
Discuss the theme of alienation from society in any of the stories and/or plays in our textbook that we've read. How does the story or play you've chosen deal with this theme? What is the author (or authors, if you're dealing with more than one) trying to tell us about alienation, its causes, its effects, etc.?
Some ideas to consider that might lead people to feel alienated from each other:
Machines vs. Man
Downsizing
Technology
Lack of time
Dehumanization (people as numbers)
Families in trouble – divorce, abuse, neglect, etc.
Racism/prejudice – ethnic, race, religion, class, financial status
Loneliness
Misunderstanding between families, strangers, co-workers, etc.
Greed, envy, dissatisfaction with one’s life
Be sure to quote from the stories or plays to support your views, identify the stories or plays and the author/s, include a Works Cited page, AND DO NOT GIVE A PLOT SUMMARY.
Student’s Name
Course
Professor’s Name
Date
Alienation: Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin
Alienation involves a person who has disengaged themselves or the state of being alienated from a place, person, or things that they have been enjoying. For instance, a case of divorce or separation by husband and wife may cause alienation. The act of alienation may be a self-decision or may be caused by compelling or unavoidable factors. In the “Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin brings forth the theme of alienation and strengthens it by the use of symbolism. Kate Chopin uses symbolism to get a deeper meaning of alienation experienced by Louise and the quest for identity that she wanted and needed.
Firstly, the theme of alienation is evident when Louise attempts to define their relationship with society, which is leading them to be alienated from their true identity. Louise is a victim of a society in which society has denied women the same rights as their male counterparts. It is this freedom that Louise has lost, even having thought about it, only for her to never get it. The story of an hour presents Mrs. mallard as alienated and lonely. Kate Chopin establishes the feeling that Mrs. Mallard is unhappy by saying that “she was pressed down by physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul” (Chopin 227). Mrs. Mallard is also physically alienated from the bond of his husband after he dies and has...
