Story of an Hour

Story of an Hour: Seen but Not Heard…Women in the Victorian Age In an age where bustles, petticoats, and veils stifled women physically, it is not surprising that society imposed standards that stifled them mentally. Women were molded into an ideal form from birth, with direction as to how they should speak, act, dress, and marry. They lacked education, employable skills, and rights in any form. Every aspect of their life was controlled by …

…took a massive risk. One could imagine the backlash that contradicting the basic domestic hierarchy could create. She challenged romance and the supremacy of man, which was extremely dangerous in a society ruled by the male race. Kate encouraged women to speak out against their husbands, think for themselves, and live independently. In the few words of The Story of an Hour, Chopin explains that freedom and life should exist together, or not at all.