University:
California State University, Northridge
Course:
ENGL 355 | Writing About Literature
Academic year:

2024
Views:

122

Pages:

2
Author:

Charlee Buchanan

Social Commentary "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin and "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway both make statements about society, specifically gender roles. Each story illustrates the way in which men dominate women and how this emotionally affects the women in a negative way. Chopin's short story was about a woman named Louise who was told the news that her husband had died in a railway accident. At first she was upset as "she wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment" (476). But, then, slowly she came to realize something. "She felt it creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air" (476). She said the word that described what she felt: free. She knew now "there would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon fellow-creature" (477). Unfortunately, it turned out that her husband had not died and when he suddenly came home, her weak heart gave out and she died. This story was written in 1894, and it certainly shows how much women were under the control of men during that time. Clearly, she did not feel free while she was married to her husband. But, once she thought he was dead, she was happy at the prospect of living for herself rather than for him. When she was married, "she had thought with a shudder that life might be long" (477). This proves that she was not happy with the way her life was. She felt stifled and controlled by her husband, a man she had to put before herself. Hemingway's story was not as straight forward, but through subtext, the meaning is revealed. His story was about a man and a girl with were drinking at a bar at a train station in Spain while having a conversation about an operation the man wanted the girl to have. The details of the operation are vague, but what they are talking about is an abortion (CliffNotes). Even though the girl was clearly reluctant about getting the operation, the man, despite saying multiple times that she did not have to go through with it if she did not want to, continued to insist she do it. The girl spoke offhandedly and tried to distract him by talking about other things, but he kept going back to the operation. Like Chopin's story, Hemingway's also covers gender roles. The man in Hemingway's story pressed his opinion on the girl and used his power over her to convince her of something she did not want. In this way, he was emotionally abusing her. He made her feel as if something was wrong with her and belittled her emotions, even though, in the end, she told him "there's nothing wrong with me. I feel fine" (594). In conclusion, both stories, "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin and "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway, show the way in which women are dominated by men. The women in the stories only wanted independence and to be able to make decisions on their own, but with the men dominating, they knew that they could not be completely free.