1. How are women’s lives portrayed in the work?

In the story, “The story of an Hour” treats women as nothing and holds no power. Women are suppressed by men in the society, in their marriage life. They possess no support, eventually the suffrage increases throughout the story .

“Due to her unhappiness in marriage, she ends up getting a heart disease that weakens her immune system ” (kate Chopin, 4).

This explains how she feels during the marriage and how she cannot speak up or say anything to anyone because of society and the way they look at gender.

2. Is the form and content of the work influenced by the writer’s gender?

In the “Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, she expresses a hidden resentment toward men and the way the world looks down upon women. Any work that is presented by the author always holds a unique form and content based on their experience and knowledge.

“There would be no one there to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself.”

This line is not only a part of the text but also a personal reflection of author’s ideology.

3. How do male and female characters relate to one another? Are these relationships sources of conflict? Are these conflicts resolved?

The relationship between men and women presented in the short story “The Story of an Hour”, is that men dominated society. A Woman’s freedom was nonexistent. Throughout this short story, women are presented as powerless and dependent while men were considered to be superior. Women were tied down through marriage, such as, having been expected of doing as the man pleased without having any say in the relationship. In the story, the conflict is better one against the society. The death of Brently Mallard stands as a resolution, but still the condition of women is the same.

“Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death. ”

This proves the resolution of the specific conflict in the story.

4. Does the work challenge or affirm traditional views of women?

Yes, the work challenge or affirm traditional views of women. This novel challenges the traditional view of women in the nineteenth century because Jane is expected to be submissive to men and never challenge them in conversations, but she does challenge their opinions anyway, and this is shocking to some men.

” When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone. She would have no one follow her.”

This shows how women decided to follow her own path.

5. How do the images of women in the story reflect patriarchal social forces that have impeded women’s efforts to achieve full equality with men?

In the modern world where women go ahead bytheir merit, patriarchy there creates obstacles for women to goforward in society. Because patriarchal institutions and socialrelations are responsible for the inferior or secondary status ofwomen. Patriarchal society gives absolute priority to men and tosome extent limits women’s human rights also. Patriarchy refers tothe male domination both in public and private spheres. In this way,feminists use the term ‘patriarchy’ to describe the powerrelationship between men and women as well as to find out the rootcause of women’s subordination which is clearly portrayed through the characters.

“There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself.”

This shows the role of women in the story.

6. What marital expectations are imposed on the characters? What effect do these expectations have?

Extreme social pressure were imposed upon women more than upon men, regarding marital expectations. Women were expected to take care of only her home and her family. They were denied all freedom once they get married as men take an authoritative will over their wives. Women were in constant search of finding themselves through regaining their lost freedom and to escape their toxic marriage and societal expectations.

“To become a husband or a wife was to inhabit a legal role, a legal personality, that carried with it strong and stringent public expectations as to conduct and responsibility. That legal person, that collection of legal rights and duties-the husband, the wife- existed regardless of an individual’s relative discontent with the identity”.

7.If a female character were male, how would the story be different (and vice versa)?

The man and the women act differently and respond to things differently throughout the passage. The man and the women have different roles in the story, the man is supposed to be the powerful, strong, and determined and the one who makes the money while the woman is supposed to stay home and make dinner and clean the house up. The responsibilities would entirely change if the gender is presented in the different way.

“She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which someone was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves” (Kate Chopin, 3).