Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour": A Feminist Reading There are many forms of oppression in "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin. Not only does Louise Mallard suffer in her medical and marital conditions, but she also poses a threat to herself, as her sister Josephine warns. This danger is particularly noticeable, since all of the action in the story revolves around Louise Mallard's preservation. Everything is orchestrated to save her from …showed first 75 words of 888 total…

…showed last 75 words of 888 total…depended on a lack of self, since a woman was meant to live for others. The oppression under which Louise suffers was by no means unusual for the time. What is ultimately unexpected and sudden in the story is the opportunity for and exploration of her experience of freedom, no matter how transient. Louise's recognition of her unhappiness illustrates Chopin's commitment to a woman's perspective and what it beholds beyond the horizons of male discourse.