Chopin Support Thesis

Thesis #2: By contrasting images of life with those of death throughout “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin highlights the struggle of a person imprisoned by societal pressures and thereby kept from fully being alive.

Chopin uses Mrs. Mallard emotions toward the death of her husband more positively than most would in the case of losing a loved one; Mrs. Mallards tone in the story is ironic as Chopin states “There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds.”  This statement I believe the author is trying to imply that she was stuck in her marriage and the death of her husband is the freedom that she needed. Whether the reason being his or her fault the marriage seemed to have lost its love, but with the 1900s era she would not be able to leave her marriage, and forced into a life of misery.

Thesis #3: Through the use of structure in her intentionally short story “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin ingeniously exposes the larger and more complex problem of oppression that can still be felt in our society today.

Chopin shows you how miserable Mrs. Mallard was in her relationship, but with the newfound death of her husband “There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself.” Mrs. Mallard would now be able to finally be able to be happy until her ironic death.  Even though, this story was written o take place in the early 1900s the same oppression can be felt today, as women fear they cannot leave their relationship without repercussion. 

Hemingway Extra Credit

I can’t relate directly to the experience Krebs went through, but similar when two years ago I had to be gone working for 7 weeks working, and when I came back I was quite surprised.  When I knew I was going to be able to come home I didn’t want to tell anyone as to we were constantly told we were returning home but were being diverted to different fires so I didn’t want to get anybodies hopes up.  When I came home everybody was very surprised as we had very little communication.  In fact, a lot had changed the house was a different color, trees were cut down things had changed a bit whereas in the situation Krebs had it was as if he was in a time capsule where nothing had really changed.

SSRJ #4 Minot

While reading the story “Lust” I felt that it was told very raw and real, the author puts you in the spot of probably a trusted best friend that she is sharing her deep secrets with.  When I first read the title I thought it must be about maybe a housewife that is separating away from her husband for another man that she desiring for, but definitely not a 15 year old girl that loves so freely.  I certainly didn’t expect the story to take place in a private boarding school which seems to be setup for the upper class, but more of middle class women.  The girl craves for sex to be accepted by boys because she doesn’t want to be alone, and if you want a boyfriend you much give them sex to keep them interested.  She was probably put in this school by her parents to keep her focused on school and excel to get into college, but ironically like any other teenage girl she is boy-crazy whether it being society pressuring her into sex or her desire she is like any other teenager. For me I feel that the story is filled with irony like the examples I have stated, but also in the schools administration telling her that there is plenty of room for her to fornicate with a boy out of the eye of the public.  This to me seems backward for a private school that they should be strict and increase enforcement of these kinds of behaviors rather than handing out condoms.  I feel that the author is telling us that sex is more prevalent in society today no mater where you come from its occurring in younger kids whether it being society’s pressure or not it will happen.  Although, she also shows the less desirable side of sex without having love in that you feel lonely and sad afterwards as if you have been used and the man has no more desire for you until he is ready to have sex again.

Do you think she is the lustful behavior to so many boys to feel gain acceptance among men or, rather because she is lonely off at boarding school by herself with which presumably without her family and friends?

SSRJ #3 D. Walker

I really liked this story, it made me feel like i was put in the protagonists shoes traveling back to the previous war torn country in which he created havoc in.  I believe that this journey that he was taking would hopefully one day bring him peace from the guilty conscious  he has from his past when he was in the military even though he has changed his whole life his past still haunts him.  He is expecting retaliation to be unleashed upon him his whole trip, but to his surprise he is treated as if nothing had happen, the Vietnamese don't dwell on the past and look toward the future. I almost find that the story is filled with irony because, that is what the protagonist is having trouble dealing with most and that the fact that a country whose civilians were slaughtered in war are able to overcome he should be able to do the same.  He also finds himself trying to repair an "enemies" thumb which was destroyed in the same war he created so much terror in even though it was not his country that did it to him. He has the chance to repair himself with peace of knowing that he can help the other side get on with their life as he can do the same with his own. I wonder even though the operation did not go as Dinh or the protaganist wanted and was not a success, did he feel fulfillment within himself for trying his best at repairing his relationship with the country he hurt the most?

SSRJ#2 Hemingway

SSRJ#2 Hemingway

After reading this story “Soldiers Home” by Hemingway it made me feel very sad for Krebs.  I have never gone into the military so I can’t really relate to the situation that Krebs was put in, but have had family members and close friends return from war and I know that the support system they need when they get home is pivotal.  The fact that Krebs didn’t receive a homecoming or support from his friends and family was probably what supported his downfall to his suicide.  It was probably that the war and his bitter homecoming that led to his destruction with his relationship with god, even though there was never an implementation that he was religious he seemed to have resentment towards him.  The fact that Krebs liked being in Germany and France probably made him feel exciting, being able to get out of his Midwestern town and that he didn’t want to come back home, but had to. The people he is with now in America just don’t get what it is like to be in a war nor do they want to hear what he says since they have already heard it all before makes him want to stay where he was over in Germany, and the fact that he can’t be there probably adds to his depression.  I think that Hemingway does a great job of putting the reader in Krebs shoes, I felt bad and sorrow for Krebs he is unable to love girls, his family or even himself.

I believe that Hemingway had purposely made Krebs come from a Midwestern town making it a huge change for him to go to war and come home to the same old lifestyle.  From this large change I believe that Krebs felt he was no longer able to assimilate into normal society anymore because of what he saw in war.  The two worlds were so much different from each other just as Krebs was different from his normal ideals of society.  His depression doesn’t seem to end there as his mother probably not intentionally trying to make him mad, but continued to stir the pot with the relation between him and Charley Simmons and how he was going to be successful and that Krebs needs to keep up.  The whole story seems to be full of irony in the fact that Krebs in unlike all other men that went to war nor does he necessarily want to be like any of them.  He just wants to be heard.

I wonder if there is any correlation between this story and Hemingway’s real life in that he had committed suicide?