The Constraints of Marriage in Literature

condition will affect the plot of the story. As the stories unfold, I discovered that Mrs. Foster’s “fear of being late” (p. 1) and Mrs.Mallard’s “heart trouble” (p. 1) may have resulted from their reaction to their inferior status in a male-chauvinistic culture. As the protagonist of the story, Mrs. Foster is mentioned many times.

However, Dahl never mentions her first name in the story; he always refers to her as Mrs. Foster. In contrast, he does mention her husband’s full name as “Mr. Eugene Foster” (p. 1). By only allowing us to view the protagonist as Mrs.

Foster, Dahl illustrates that the societal status of women were seen only through their husbands. Women had no role of their own. The seemingly small decision on Dahl’s part to exclude Mrs. Foster’s first name actually tells much about the society of his time. Similarly, it is not until paragraph 16 in page 2 does the reader learn the protagonist’s first name, Louise.

Chopin might have done so to indicate that the woman was bereft of singularity and selfhood until the “death” of her husband emancipated her. This draws our attention to the theme of both stories which is the emancipation of women.It is then her sister calls out, “Louise, open the door! ” (p. 2). Before that moment, she was solely Mrs. Brently Mallard, an accessory attached to her husband’s personality.

The exclusion of the name in both stories gives a clear idea to the reader the time in which the stories take place, which is crucial due to the fact that the societal standards of the women were held to their main role as wives and their purpose to

support their husbands. In accordance with this lack of personhood, both characters are not contented with their marriage life. Mrs.Foster is recounted as an “unhappy lady,” (p. 1) and a “poor woman” (p. 1) who “had developed a great yearning to set eyes on her grandchildren.” (p. 2). Through this description, it is obvious that Mrs. Foster is not gratified with the life she leads.

The adjectives “unhappy” and “poor” are skillfully used to influence the reader to raise sympathy for Mrs. Foster. As dejected as she may be, Dahl does not fail to reveal that, “Mrs. Foster was and always had been a good and loving wife” (p. 1) and had “served him loyally and well.” (p. 1). The phrase “was and always” insinuates that Mrs.Foster constantly and unfalteringly conducted her domestic duties.

However, it does seem clear that she was not happy with the idea of remaining in the household dominion for as long as she lives. In like manner, Mrs. Mallard’s marriage did not permit her to speak her mind. The line, “there would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence” (p.2), illuminates Mrs. Mallard’s view on the institution of marriage. She was never allowed to reveal her feelings, or to show or use her own strength of character; in lieu she had to oppress them.The Story of an Hour also hints that Mr. Mallard, a typical husband of his zenith, dominated his wife who recognizes self-assertion as the “strongest impulse of her being! ” (p.2). It is evident that both women craved for freedom and to create their own self-identity. What differentiates these two characters is the means to obtain

emancipation. Dahl sets a path for the reader to walk with Mrs. Foster and experience her emotional instability increasing as the clock ticks. Two of her thoughts are particularly important as Dahl explains her relationship with her husband.

The first is that she “did not really wish to live out her days in a place where she could not be near but she “knew, of course, that it was wrong and in a way disloyal to have thought like these while her husband was still alive. ” (p. 2). This last sentence foreshadows what happens in the rest of the story because Mrs.Foster knew it was “wrong” to have such thoughts “while her husband was still alive. ” The second important thought is that “it had taken months to persuade her husband to allow her to go” (p. 2) and “he might easily decide she should cancel the whole thing. ” (p. 2).

The notion that Mrs.Foster did not have the free agency to go visit her daughter whenever she chose to again points out the immense power Mr. Foster has over his wife. As the story demonstrates, Mrs. Foster is contending with the conflicting thoughts of her own needs and her duties to her husband. This led her to committing the act of “killing” her husband, leaving him trapped in an elevator for six weeks.

The concluding sentence sheds light on the entire story. In the end, she won. Mrs. Foster escaped from her tyrannical husband, and is now free to go live near her grandchildren whom she loves so dearly.This clearly contrasts from Mrs.Mallard who merely contemplates with complexities of the truth and freedom. On a

deeper level, the story is about the feeling of intense joy that Mrs. Mallard experiences when she realized that she is liberated from the influences of her husband. Unlike Mrs.Foster, she does nothing to gain her emancipation. Instead, she drops-dead in sight of her husband.

The change is Mrs. Mallard is only obvious when she faces reality in her bedroom. She changes from a dutiful wife to a woman who “often had not” (p.2) loved her husband.She turns into a person possessed by self-assertion. The wanting to lead her life on her own terms, she dreams of the years to come while praying life may be long. Chopin and Dahl have crafted these two stories with immense power yet simple description causing the reader to think and analyze and justify the actions of both the characters.

In “The Way up to Heaven,” Dahl systematically lays out his story and lures the reader to follow him through Mrs. Foster’s ordeal. In the end, it seems as though she has won her battle, the evil, oppressive husband is gone.However, Dahl also leaves the reader with the vague feeling that perhaps Mrs. Foster’s “victory” should not be viewed as a victory at all, but rather as a quirky retort to inconsequential issues. Mrs.

Foster’s character changes from anxious and fearful to a bold and independent character. It is in her own use of language – imagery, symbolism, and descriptive details that Chopin illustrates the profound change in Mrs. Mallard. The two characters are similar in many ways, but one thing that differentiates them is the way the gain their emancipation.