THE STORY

OF AN HOUR
By Kate Chopin
Literacy Criticism Approach

FORMALIST CRITICISM
 BACKGROUND

-
A formalist critic examines the form of the work as a whole, the form of each individual
part of the text (the individual scenes and chapters), the characters, the settings, the tone,
the point of view, the diction, and all other elements of the text  which join to make it a
single text. After analyzing each part, the critic then describes how they work together to
make give meaning (theme) to the text.
 AUTHOR

Her short stories, which were written for both children

"The Story of an Hour" is a short story written by Kate Chopin on April 19,
1894. It was originally published in Vogue on December 6, 1894, as "The
Dream of an Hour". It was later reprinted in St. Louis Life on January 5,
1895, as "The Story of an Hour".
-
SUMMARY OF THE
STORY
 Intro

The short narrative "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin is full of pleasant surprises. She
uses a certain picture to guide the reader in one way before abruptly changing course. The
heroine of the novel initially strikes us as a frail lady who is prone to injury. Knowing Mrs.
Mallard had a heart condition, considerable care was taken to inform her of her husband's
passing as gently as possible (Chopin 1894).  This story's opening sentence deftly
accomplishes two literary devices that will be utilized to surprise the reader later on. The
first is presenting a delicate woman in your mind's eye. She informs us of her cardiac
condition in the second. The information that she is about to learn that she is a widow
quickly grabs our attention. This short narrative uses surprise and plot intrigue effectively,
making it simple to analyze from a formalist perspective. This method is most frequently
employed in literary comparison and critique since it focuses on the structure and
progression of the literary work itself, according to our textbook (Clugston, 2010). In our
text's Chapter 16.2, the question, "Why is the story intriguing?" A surprise happened? The
unexpected turns in this short narrative are what set it apart and make it unforgettable. With
a swiftly approaching unexpected finish, the story's opening line will return to haunt the
reader. This story's many unexpected turns make it a good fit for the formalist method.
 BODY
After hearing of her husband’s death, the woman reacts strongly: “She
did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a
paralyzed inability to accept its significance. She wept at once, with
sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms. When the storm of grief
had spent itself, she went away to her room alone. She would have no one
follow” (Chopin 1894). These sentences conjure up the idea of an
especially distraught widow. The reader witnesses this woman's complete
collapse as she thrashes around in agony before withdrawing to grieve by
herself. She ascends the stairs and sits at a window, gazing out at the
burgeoning spring landscape below her. She could see the tops of trees
swaying with the fresh spring life in the open area in front of her house
(Chopin 1894). To the reader, the image of a grieving widow dealing with
an empty life and dealing with death rather than the spring of life contrasts
sharply with the image of a blooming spring. Chopin describes the
springtime sight, with its clear sky and bird music, as a metaphor for life. 
 
 Chopin starts guiding us to our first surprise as he leads us into this representation of
life and its antithesis with death. In order to keep readers intrigued, she used a
foreshadowing technique: "There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it,
anxiously. It was what? She had no idea since it was too elusive and delicate to be named.
But she sensed it, reaching out of the sky, -through the noises, fragrances, and color that
permeated the air (Chopin 1894). The sensation of impending doom stays in the reader's
mind, and we anticipate awful news. The initial shock is startling. The young widow,
whose unlined face is gushing tears, says, "When she abandoned herself, a small
murmured word left her slightly opened lips. We are expecting calamity, but she feels
liberated. Free, free, free—she repeated it under her breath over and again. ” (Chopin
1894). The reader is in disbelief. 
 
Chopin writes about a typical marriage between a husband and a wife. When the
widow saw the sweet, soft hands folded in death and the face, which had never gazed at
her save with love, fixed, gray, and lifeless, she will "cry anew." However, she could see a
long succession of years ahead of her that would be all hers. And she welcomed them by
opening and opening her arms to them (Chopin 1894). 
 
 Conclusion
The last surprise is revealed in the story's conclusion. He walks through
the front door very much alive after the reader is fully aware of the
widow's joy at her sudden liberation, despite having loved her spouse. At
the sight of him, the widow collapses and dies. "When the physicians
arrived, they reported that she had passed away from heart disease — from
joy that kills" (Chopin 1894). In this brief but intriguing story, this is the
story's final irony and turn. In her article "How to Become a Critical
Reader," Esther Lombardi advises, "Consider the title. What does it reveal
about the subject matter of the book, essay, or literary piece? ” (Lombardi).
"The Story of an Hour" depicts the reality of what an hour can hold in the
course of life's surprise ups and downs and is full of plot twists and
intrigue. The way Kate Chopin manipulates the narrative to reflect the
unforeseen occurrences that might happen at any time in our life is superb
Group 3
Ryza Rodriguez
Sean Candido
Tatjana Tejeres
Neil John Pastores
Ken Bautista
Whi-Myrrh Borrel
Josue Nalda
Thank
YOU.