Story of an Hour & the Yellow Wallpaper Compare and Contrast

Traditionally, women have been known to be the less dominant sex. They have faced years of being looked at as only mothers to children and housewives. Throughout women's history, women have fought for freedom and equal rights. The Equal Rights Amendment, only recently passed in 1972, finally gave women a hold to being treated fairly next to men in the workplace. “The Story of an Hour” and “The Yellow Wallpaper” both take place in an era where women are looked at as property and second class citizens to society. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, both Gilman and Chopin use symbols and other literary elements in dissimilar ways to convey the oppression in married women, and the difficulty they have asserting their independence.

In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, the theme is forbidden joy of independence. Chopin uses foreshadowing, symbolism, irony, personification, imagery, and allegory to convey the theme to the readers. “Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.” (Chopin, 261) It starts there in the beginning, foreshadowing the ending that Mrs. Mallard’s heart condition affects the conclusion of the short story. Then, we see irony used in the story through Mrs. Mallard's reaction to her husband’s death. When she first heard the news of her husband’s death, she did what was common when losing a loved one- she grieved. Once Mrs. Mallard is left alone her room though, as the audience we see that she seems more relieved. “She saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely.” (Chopin, 262) At this point, she’s happy that her husband is dead and instead of sulking, she looks forward to the years of being by herself. There is recognition that she will be free.

In “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the theme is the importance of self expression. Opposed to Chopin, Gilman uses metaphor, antithesis, and repetition. “You see, he does not believe I am sick! And what can one do?” (Gilman, 266) “If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and