Vocabulary
"vacant" stare - what does this mean?
empty
"Sudden, wild" (abandonment) - What kind of words are these?
Adjectives (powerful).
What happened to Mrs Mallard to trigger her feelings?
Recovering from the death of a loved one - what theme is this?
Grief
What is the narrative perspective in this story (first, second, or third person)?
Third.
"Afflicted" - what does this mean?
Troubled by
"a storm of grief" - what technique is this?
Metaphor
How would you describe Mrs Mallard's emotions on hearing the news of her husband's death?
Mixed, up and down - some relief but also sadness
The reaction of Mrs Mallard to her husband's death must be seen in light of...?
Oppression of women/women's rights
Can an omnipotent narrator (3rd person) tell us everything about Mrs Mallard and how she feels?
Yes. (but it's sometimes hard to be inside her head).
"paralyzed" - what does this word mean?
Struck, stationary, unable to move
"delicious breath of rain", "blue sky showing" - the weather often reflects her mood. What do we call this?
Pathetic fallacy
Do we see Mr Mallard much? What is the effect of focussing much more on Mrs Mallard?
No - and we get to see this from her perspective, it highlights her voice and not the male figure
What is one specific reason (from yesterday) that Mrs Mallard may be happy about her husband's death? (What can women gain from such a thing?).
Do you think this narrator gives us a lot of details about Mrs Mallard's state of mind? How do they do this?
Yes - mainly descriptions of her reactions, words, and thoughts
"repression" - what does this word mean?
holding back, keeping something down
"as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob" - what technique is this? what's the effect?
Simile - shows how she rediscovers freedom, innocence, she can be a child again
How strong of a character is Mrs Mallard? Does she react weakly, or does she show strength? Find evidence.
(I think) she's strong - she is decisive in what she says - "free, free, free!" - and she knows what she wants - "she would live for herself"
"Body and soul free" - what might be the two ways that she has been oppressed that Mrs Mallard is referring to here?
Physical and mental/emotional - she is free to go and do as she places, and has mental peace
Why are there so many long sentences with many clauses in the story?
Partly because of the time of writing but mainly because it reflects her confused, erratic state of mind
"imploring" - what does this mean?
begging, wanting
"Her fancy was running riot" - what TWO techniques are this and what is the effect?
1) Alliteration. 2) Personification. Shows the flow/wonder of her thoughts about the future and maybe how her thoughts have a life/mind of their own.
Is the quality of the relationship between Mrs Mallard and her husband always clear? Find evidence.
No - overall, she's negative, but has mixed feelings. "And yet she had loved him - sometimes."
What do you think Chopin is trying to tell us about the place of women in this society (detailed answer pls)?
I think it's that they're stuck, chained, made crazy - they get no peace, and everything is stressful
How does the text handle the present, past, and future?
It combines them all - it's set in the present, but she reflects/reacts to both the past and the future