Essay on Society vs. Inhibition - 1235 Words

Rules of society have influenced behaviors of people for centuries. But what happens when an individual does not agree with the rules of society? What happens when it is more important to a person to have freedom and independence than it is to live up to society’s expectations? Several pieces of literature by Kate Chopin address these questions; specifically, the short stories â€Å"A Pair of Silk Stockings† and â€Å"The Story of an Hour† give some feedback on the issues of society versus one’s free will and the consequences of one’s opinions conflicting with the expectations of society. Chopin uses many pressing issues of her era to display how people are punished for rejecting the limiting norms of society in her writings. â€Å"A Pair of Silk†¦show more content†¦Mallard was in the living room with her sister and her late husband’s friend: â€Å"It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intell igent thought.† Typically, a woman who has just lost her husband would be overwhelmed with memories, thoughts of funeral arrangements, thoughts about a lonely future without the man she loved; however, Mrs. Mallard’s mind was completely blank. She did not see the tragedy in the death of her husband. Mrs. Mallard’s thoughts and feelings were going against the rules of society. Mrs. Mallard fought the typical norms of society in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin. She sought freedom and independence when, according to society, she should be too grief-stricken to seek much of anything other than condolence. She looked forward to living life without the restrains her husband had come with: â€Å"She said it over and over under her breath: ‘free, free, free!’† Mrs. Mallard felt relief rather than grief upon learning of her husband’s death. She looked forward to living for herself rather than her husband, putting her needs before someone else’s, living for herself rather that living for another person, which very obviously, would be seen as wrong by the masses. Mrs. Mallard was genuinely happy with her husband’s death: â€Å"The vacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright.† The pressure was off her to feel sad about her husband’s death; sheShow MoreRelatedGenetically Modified Food892 Words   |  4 Pagesnutritional value and are seen as a disregard for the human organism. European culture stems from thousands of generations of growing and preparing foods by hand, without the use of industrial techniques. 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