The story of an hour 英文鉴赏

精选文档PAGEPAGE4—A Feminist Perspective ThestoryTheStoryofanHour,writtenbyKateChopinisashortbutpowerfulstory.Theendingofthestoryofanhourhaltssharply,withoutmuchspacebetweentheclimaxandtheending.Theendingrevealsthethemesoftheshortstory,epitomizesthewritingtechniquesthewriterused,reinforcestheplotandtheironicrelationshipbetweencharacters,makestheelement—heartdiseaseacluethroughoutthewholestory,andleavesusreadersmuchmargintothinkaboutsuchasthenatureoftheprotagonist.Thestorybeginswithtwononpersonsubjectsentences.“KnowingthatMrs.Mallardwasafflictedwithahearttrouble,greatcarewastakentobreaktoherasgentleaspossiblethenewsofherhusband’sdeath.”ThistellsusthesituationwithMrs.Mallard:troubledwithheartdisease,fragile,unabletobearanyshockandcarefullyprotected.Theprotectionisrestrictionaswell.InthefirstsentencethenarratorrevealedMrs.Mallard’shearttrouble.Andthereareseveralrepetitionsofthediseaseinwholestory.Thesecondplaceis“Josephinewaskneelingbeforethecloseddoorwithherlipstothekeyhole,imploringforadmission.‘Louise,openthedoor!Ibeg;openthedoor---youwillmakeyourselfill.Whatareyoudoing,Louise?Forheaven’ssakeopenthedoor.’”Thethirdplaceis“‘Goaway.Iamnotmakingmyselfill.’No;shewasdrinkinginaveryelixiroflifethroughthatopendoor.”Thefourthis“Shebreathedaquickprayerthatlifemightbelong.Itwasonlyyesterdayshehadthoughtwithashudderthatlifemightbelong.”Thefifthisintheending“whenthedoctorcametheysaidshehaddiedofheartdisease----ofjoythatkills.”Thefirstrevelationisattheverybeginningofthestory.Thelastoneisattheend.Mrs.Mallard’shearttroubleisanimportantcluethatgoesthoughthewholearticle.It’sthecenterofthestory.Butthesearenotsimplyrepetition.Thepointofviewandthewayofpresentingaredifferent.Thefirstplaceisnarratedfromthelimitedomniscientpointofviewandcentersonhowpeopleregardthediseaseandhowwilltheytreather.ThesecondquotationisfromtheperspectiveofMrs.Mallard’ssister’sandshowsherconcern.Thethirdandthefourtharefromtheprotagonistherself.ThethirdoneisstatedthroughdialogueandthefourthcontainsacompareshowingMrs.Mallard’sattitudetowardlifebeforeandafterthenews.Therepressedmarriagemakesherlifewearingonratherslowlyandshedoesnotwanttolivealonglifewiththiscondition.Butthenewsbringsherhopeandimagination.Eachrepetitioncarrieswithitsomeotherrelatedinformationwhichenrichestheplotofthestory.“Hehadonlytakenthetimetoassurehimselfofitstruthbyasecondtelegram,andhadhastenedtoforestallanylesscareful,lessfriendinbearingthesadmessage.”RichardisMr.Mallard’sfriend.HeknewaboutthediseaseandheisalsotheonetryingtoprotectMrs.Mallard.Hishastinessisbecauseofthedisease.Thesetwoarecloselyrelated.Inahastyhecametotellthebadmessage.Thatwhythemistakewasmade.Hewasnotevensureofthehusband’sdeath.Thischainofevents---Richardcamebackhastily,theyhappenedtotellMrs.Mallardbeforetheysawthebodyanditwasonlyanhourbeforeherhusbandcameback---mightbecoincident.Thishastinessmakesthereappearanceofthehusbandpossibleandreasonable.IntheendthedoctorssaidMrs.Mallarddiedofjoythatkills.Butactuallyitisnothardtothinkthatthereasonforherdeathisnotjoybutsorrowthatkills.Shewasshockedtoseeherhusbandcameback.Intheshatteringdisappointmentandsorrowtheheartdiseaseasrepeatedpreviouslykilledher.Shewasveryjoyfulwhenshecarriedherselfoutoftheroom,likeagoddessofvictory.Butnooneknows.ThereisaconflictbetweenMrs.Mallardandsociety.Alltheyknewwereshehadheartdiseaseandshesupposedtobesadatthenewsofherhusband’sdeath.Butnoonethoughtitweirdthatshedidnotdieofsadnessbutjoy.Theyguessedthereasonaccordingtothetraditionalmoralprinciplesandfromtheperspectiveofman.Whilethereaderknowwhat’shappening.Butthecharactersinthestorydon’t.Theendingseemstobereasonablebutactuallyisafallacy.Thispresentsusadramaticirony,sharpeningthesurpriseendingandlendingusalottothink.TheendofthestoryleavesusenoughmarginstothinkaboutwhyisMrs.Mallardsohappyatherhusband’sdeath?andsosadathisreturn?Isshereallyavilewomanthatcursesherhusbandtodie?Iftheanswerisaffirmative,whatmakeshersocold-blooded?Doesthecouplereallyloveeachother?Mrs.Mallardlivedsuperficiallyahappylifeinotherpeople’seyesaccordingtotheconventionalandsecularcriteria.Herhusbandwasgentle.Whenthedooropened,“itwasBrentlyMallardwhoentered,alittletravel-stained,composedlycarryinghisgripsackandumbrella.”ThiswastheonlydirectdescriptionofMr.Mallard.Heshouldbeaconsiderategentleman.Mrs.Mallardhad“twopowerlesswhiteslenderhands”,soshedidnothavetoworkveryhardtolive.Sheisnotimpoverishedinmateriallife,butheregoisswampedinthethenpatriarchalsociety.Sheisnotequallytreatedasman.“Andyetshehadlovedhim----sometimes.Oftenshehadnot.Whatdiditmatter!Whatcouldlove,theunsolvedmystery,countforinfaceofthispossessionofself-assertionwhichshesuddenlyrecognizedasthestrongestimpulseofherbeing.”Thissentenceanswersthequestionwhethershelovesherhusbandornot.Shelovedhimtosomedegree.Butcomparedwithfreedomandself-assertion,lovedoesnotcountformuch.Sheisdeepinsideinhibited.Shelivedatwo-facetlife.Butsheisnotvileorcruel,becausesherepressedherselffromthefeeling,theecstasy.“Shewasstrivingtobeatitbackwithherwill---aspowerlessasherwhiteslenderhandswouldhavebeen.”However,itwasalsobecauseofherweakness.Herdesireforfreedomandself-realizationisoutclassedbythemoralprinciplesthathadmanipulatedherformanyyears.Unconsciously,sheknewitwas“amonstrousjoythatheldher.”Maybetherearesomeotherkindsofendings.ButtheendinggivenbyKateliberatestheprotagonistinarealsense,thoughitissomewhatatragedythatshediedof“joy”.Theendinginthissenseintensifiesthethemesandtheauthor’sintentionagain.