Introduction
Literature is an essential form of art that allows creators to fill their pieces with meaning and messages. While some writers and poets focused on expressing their thoughts, others aimed to capture the readers’ attention and emphasize critical societal issues. For instance, Girl and The Story of an Hour focus on the problem of oppression in a patriarchal society. Therefore, while the stories focus on the characters’ relationships, they additionally focus on individual reactions to personal experiences that change their lives.
Comparison of the Works
Relationships
Girl
In the prosaic poem Girl, the author reveals the relationship between mother and daughter, and in the second work, the connection between spouses. Girl is a dramatic monologue, told mainly in the second person. The narrator is supposed to be a mother preaching to her daughter, although their relationship is never clearly defined.
The mother’s voice is demanding, and her speech is cautionary. The poem is a paragraph consisting of a series of commands and instructions connected by a semicolon. A girl who has reached puberty receives instructions designed to help her become a decent woman.
The Story of an Hour
The short story The Story of an Hour focuses on interpersonal connections and issues. At the story’s beginning, Richards and Josephine believe they should break the news of Brantley Mallard’s death to Louise Mallard as delicately as possible. At first, she deliberately does not allow herself to think about this freedom. Knowledge reaches her wordlessly and symbolically through an “open window” through which she sees an “open square” in front of her house (Chopin 3). Consequently, the analyzed poems are similar to the revealed theme.
Semantic and Structural Analysis
Girl
In the poem Girl, the daughter’s voice interrupts the mother in protest, but the mother only continues her monologue in a detached and often accusatory tone. The author emphasizes it by using “don’t”, “do”, and “as it should” (Kincaid). Although the narrative is not linear, there is a change of tone when the mother’s intention moves from teaching her daughter household duties to empowering her to assert her individuality (Rosenberg and Michael, 1239).
The mother’s comments raise more serious issues like etiquette and respectability. The woman tells the girl to always walk like a lady and be the perfect woman to fit into the society in which they live. The mother’s speech is structured so the reader first trusts her and then begins feeling rejected. If one looks through this lens, what at first glance seems to be a set of instructions designed to inspire and educate a girl becomes an ironic criticism of the rhetorical purpose of the mother.
The Story of an Hour
The Story of an Hour by Chopin is the mainstay of feminist literary criticism as well. The story documents Louise Mallard’s complex reaction to learning of her husband’s death. The repetition of “open” emphasizes the possibility and absence of restrictions. (Chopin 36).
In one of the essential passages of history, Chopin describes Louise’s vision of self-determination. Josephine is concerned that Louise is getting sick in her room, but the reader knows that at this moment, she feels better than ever. The climax of the story is the sudden return of the deceased husband, Brantley Mallard, unharmed, at the sight of which the triumphant and victorious Louise suddenly dies.
In general, the text has an ironic tone, sometimes associated with sympathy, sometimes with wariness, emotional optimism, or restless triumph. The author does not take responsibility for Louise’s husband either, since she is unhappy. The author’s last words sound ominous and malevolent, like retribution and a warning.
Conclusion
Hence, the stories emphasize the connections between the characters, but they additionally concentrate on how each character responds to unique life-changing occurrences. In her poem Girl, Kincaid explores mother-daughter relationships in work, and Chopin illustrates spouse relationships. In Kincaid’s poem, the mother is protested by the daughter, while Chopin’s The Story of an Hour shows how Louise Mallard responds to the passing of her husband.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. The Story of an Hour. Joe Books Ltd, 2018.
Kincaid, Jamaica. “Girl.” Creative Writing. Routledge, 2018, pp.478-479.
Rosenberg, Naomi, and Michael Vitez. “Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” and the Challenge of Growing Up in Medical Training.” JAMA, vol. 322, no. 13, 2019, pp.1238-1239.