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English 101/Section #
Date
Essay #6
Disappointment
"The Story of an o!r" is a short story in "hich #ate $hopin% the a!thor% presents an
often !nhear& of 'ie" of marriage( )rs( Lo!ise )allar&% $hopin*s main character%
e+periences the e+hilaration of free&om rather than the &esolation of loneliness after she
learns of her h!s,an&*s &eath( Later% "hen )rs( )allar& learns that her h!s,an&% -rently%
still li'es% she .no" that all hope of free&om is gone( The cr!shing &isappointment .ills
)rs( )allar&( /!,lishe& in the late eighteen h!n&re&s% the oppressi'e nat!re of marriage
in "The Story of an o!r" may "ell ,e a reflection of% tho!gh not e+cl!si'e to% that era(
Tho!gh $hopin relates )rs( )allar&*s story% she &oes not &o so in first person(
$hopin re'eals the story thro!gh a narrator*s 'oice( The narrator is not simply an
o,ser'er% ho"e'er( The narrator .no"s% for e+ample% that )rs( )allar&% for the most part%
&i& not lo'e her h!s,an& 0paragraph 112( 3t is o,'io!s that the narrator .no"s more than
can ,e physically o,ser'e&( $hopin% ho"e'er% ne'er tells the rea&er "hat )rs( )allar& is
feeling( 3nstea&% the rea&er m!st loo. into )rs( )allar&*s actions an& "or&s in or&er to
!n&erstan& "hat )rs( )allar& feels(
)rs( )allar& is hel& ,ac. in her marriage( The lines of her face ",espo.e repression"
0paragraph 42( 5hen )rs( )allar& learns of her h!s,an&*s &eath% she .no"s that there
"ill ",e no po"erf!l "ill ,en&ing her" 0paragraph 162( There "ill ,e no h!s,an& "ho
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,elie'es he has the "right to impose a pri'ate "ill !pon a fello" creat!re" 0paragraph 162(
)rs( )allar& ac.no"le&ges that her h!s,an& lo'e& her( -rently ha& only e'er loo.e& at
)rs( )allar& "ith lo'e 0paragraph 182( This information implies to the rea&er that
-rently is not a ,a& man9 he simply ,elie'es that it is his right% an& perhaps his o,ligation
as a h!s,an&% to &irect )rs( )allar& in e'erything she &oes( 5hen )rs( )allar& learns of
her h!s,an&*s &eath% she reali:es that he "ill no longer ,e there to repress her9 there "ill
,e no one% sa'e her% to &irect her "ill( Then% in a cr!shing ,lo"% e'erything she has ;!st
reali:e& an& ,eg!n to loo. for"ar& to is stolen from her grasp(
<pon learning of her h!s,an&*s &eath% )rs( )allar& reali:es that she is no" free( She
repeats the "or&s "Free% free% free=" 0paragraph 112 an& feels her ,o&y come ali'e( er
p!lse ,eats faster9 her ,loo& r!ns "armer9 her eyes ,righten 0paragraph 112( )rs( )allar&
.no"s that from no" on she can li'e for herself an& no one else% that "all sort of &ays>
"o!l& ,e her o"n" 0paragraph 1?2( )rs( )allar& sees the chance to li'e o!t the rest of
her &ays for herself9 she sees the opport!nity to ,e her o"n person( )rs( )allar& no"
loo.s for"ar& to a long life( She ha& pre'io!sly &rea&e& the years ahea& spent !n&er the
th!m, of her h!s,an& 0paragraph 1?2( No"% tho!gh% )rs( )allar& is someone "ho has
m!ch to loo. for"ar& to an& many ;oys to appreciate( This opport!nity is ta.en from her
;!st as her chance of free&om is ta.en from her "hen she learns that -rently still li'es(
5hen )rs( )allar& sees -rently "al. thro!gh the front &oor% the &isappointment an& the
&e'astation of loss that she s!ffers ca!se her heart to fail(
5hen )rs( )allar& "al.s &o"n the stairs "ith her sister% she has tri!mph in her eyes
0paragraph 702( The front &oor opens% ho"e'er% an& -rently "al.s in( 5hat effect &oes
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this ha'e on )rs( )allar&@ 3t .ills her( )rs( )allar& has% in a 'ery short time% reali:e& the
"orl& is a "on&erf!l place an& that she can li'e in it any"ay she chooses( She gains
free&om% in&epen&ence% in&i'i&!ality% an& a "hole host of things to loo. for"ar& to in
life( 5hen -rently "al.s in the &oor% tho!gh% )rs( )allar& .no"s that she "ill ha'e to
spen& the rest of her life as no more than his "ife &oes% ;!st as she ha& ,een( She .no"s
that she "ill ne'er ,e free( This is too m!ch for )rs( )allar& to han&le( Life ha& ,een
grim ,efore% "ith her loo.ing for"ar& to the years ahea& ""ith a sh!&&er" 0paragraph
1?2( No" that )rs( )allar& has taste& "hat life might ha'e ,een li.e "itho!t her
h!s,an&% the i&ea of res!ming her former life is !n,eara,ly grim( 5hen )rs( )allar&
sees that her h!s,an& still li'es% she &ies% .ille& ,y the &isappointment of losing
e'erything she so recently tho!ght she ha& gaine&(
)rs( Lo!ise )allar& e+periences the e+hilaration of free&om after she learns of
her h!s,an&*s &eath in "The Story of an o!r"( Later% "hen )rs( )allar& learns that her
h!s,an& still li'es% she .no" that all hope of free&om is gone( The cr!shing
&isappointment .ills her( The oppressi'e nat!re of marriage in "The Story of an o!r"
may "ell ,e a reflection of% tho!gh not e+cl!si'e to the late eighteen h!n&re&s(