Themes
FALSE
Is Josephine the sister of Mrs or Mr Mallard?
Mrs.Mallard
"When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. " What is this an example of ?
Personification because words do not whisper
Who ends up dying in the end of the story?
Mrs.Mallard
Kate Chopin
Find a quote that highlights the theme of the forbidden joy of independence
"When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease--of the joy that kills."
or
"She did not stop to ask if it were or were not a monstrous joy that held her. A clear and exalted perception enabled her to dismiss the suggestion as trivial"
give 2 characteristics of Mrs. Mallard
- keeps her emotions bottled up, very repressed
- sensitive, people have to be careful around her emotions
What does the heart symbolize in the story?
Louise's weak heart. She is too weak and sensitive to tolerate heavy situations; we know that this is a symbol for the lack of love in her life. When there is no love, the heart empties and, eventually dies.
How much time passes in the story?
One Hour
What was this short story originally called?
The Dream of an Hour
True or False At first, freedom seems like a terrible thing to Mrs. Mallard
TRUE
How does Josephine feel about the death of Mr. Mallard?
Josephine is so focused on comforting Mrs. Mallard, though, that we have no clue how she (Josephine) feels about the death of her brother-in-law.
"When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease--of the joy that kills." What is the joy that kills an example of?
How does news of Mr.Mallards death reach the Richards
Telegraph
Which unusual place was this story published?
Vogue
What do we learn from this story about the importance of how information is delivered?
What we learn from this story is that how you tell someone what happened is more important than what actually happened. The biggest concern isn't whether someone lives or dies, it's how you tell a person with a weak heart bad news without killing them.
What do you think about the timing with the Richards? In the beginning they were quick to deliver news of death but slow to deliver news that he is not dead?
When it really counts, though, Richards can't move quickly enough. Even though he sees Mr. Mallard coming in and makes a "quick motion to screen him from the view of his wife" (21), he doesn't move more "quick[ly]" than Mrs. Mallard's field of vision. He's "too late" (22), and she dies. Major fail – Richards only tried to do one thing, and even that didn't go so well. Apart from that, who is Richards?
Find an instance of foreshadowing
Decide on the spot if it is correct or not
How does the wife feel about her husbands death?
She feels liberated
free points no need to answer the question
free points no need to answer the question
Explain in depth one of the themes in the story
The Forbidden Joy of Independence
The Oppressiveness of Marriage
Language and Communication
Freedom and Confinement
(decide if the answer was detailed or not)
What do we know about Mr.Mallard?
We dont know much. So, we know he leaves home to work, and that his work is far enough away that he needs to use a train . We don't know his profession, when he left on this journey, or how frequently he travels.
Find 2 literary devices on your own
Decide if they are right or not on the spot
Give a summary of the story
Decide on the spot if its correct or not
Did Mr.Mallard abuse his wife?
NO