narrator simply tells us information W r i t i n g

What you will do…

• You will read the Story of an Hour, included below in pdf. You can also find this story in the textbook.
• Answer the questions below: Part A and Part B.

Instructions:

Read the Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin (page 57). You have Part A and Part B for this assignment. Part A questions that you need to answer below are from the textbook. These questions will help you analyze the text following the Fiction elements. Part B questions will help you make connections and apply that knowledge to the real world. This exercise will help you analyze and think critically about a short story. There is no time limit set for this assignment.

Part A- Analysis Questions

1. How is Mrs. Mallard’s character developed? Do you see examples of exposition, where the narrator simply tells us information about the protagonist? In addition, does Chopin portray particular emotional responses, thoughts, and actions to reveal Mrs. Mallard’s character? If so, how so? How does she employ point of view in this story?
2. What is your impression of Brently Mallard? What elements of the story generate this impression?
3. How is setting (both the historical period and the physical atmosphere of the story) used to contribute to the story’s meaning? What is Mrs. Mallard’s social class? What clues lead you to this conclusion?
4. What is the story’s central conflict? Does Mrs. Mallard change, as we might expect a protagonist to do?
5. What are the important themes of this story?

Part B- Synthesis Questions:

1. What kinds of assertions does the text make about the gender roles? In other words, what are the beliefs and expectations of women?
2. Does it reflect your own experience?
3. How do those roles shape our culture? For example, think about the fairy tales and the way they shape our notion of gender roles. What would happen, for example, if the Cinderella were a man?

Watch this video for inspiration!