1. Background to “Story of an Hour”
by Kate Chopin
Ms. Mohlere
English 131

2.  First

published in Vogue in 1894.
The location is not given, but most of her
works take place in the United States, so we
can assume that it happens in America.
 Wasn’t
originally considered a feminist story,
but in the 1960’s, the Women’s Movement
adopted the story as one of the “Great
feminist texts.”

3.  Women
 Women
could not vote
could not own property, or control her
own money.
 Once a woman married, anything she owned
became her husband’s.
 It was very unusual for a women to go to
college.
 Women were discouraged from pursuing a
career, although many lower class women
had to work. (They mostly had jobs as
servants, working for the upper class.)

4.  Divorce
 If
was socially unacceptable.
a woman wanted to divorce her husband
on any grounds, her husband was granted
all property, money, and care of the
children. A woman was left with nothing.

5.  As
you may have noticed, women had
virtually no control over her life, her family,
or her future.

6.  Except
 If
one: The widow
a woman’s husband died, she suddenly
gained the social rights over her time and
future, and also the legal right over her
money, property, and children.

7.  Now
that you know all of this, how does it
change your view of:
• Louise Mallard
• Brantley Mallard
• Their marriage
• The ending of the story?