Comparison of Louise Mallard in Story of an Hour and Sylvia in A White Heron - Essay Example

Both stories tell the tale of female characters, living in the same era, tackling issues of early feminism; the concerns of women, the rights of women, and the perspectives of women of that time period. These aspects are, all the more, powerful because they were both written by women of the same era. While “Story of an Hour” is a brief, darker, ironic tale and “A White Heron” is longer tale asking ethical dilemmas and posing inner struggles of a young girl, they both are not so very different.

Even though they have their differences they have quite a bit in common, as well, seen, particularly, among the two main characters. Background - In summary, Louise Mallard is a young married woman, in the city, with a heart condition. She is told her husband was tragically killed in an accident. Although, not happy he has died; she is not exactly unhappy either. Without her husband she sees a future of possibility and freedom; a life she could not have while married to her husband. However, after an hour of self-reflection and inspiration, she discovers that her husband is not dead.

It results in shock, which causes a heart attack and she dies (Chopin 1-3). Sylvia in “A White Heron” is only 9-years-old. Hope for it. However, Sylvia had realized that dream and she was living that freedom. In a way, Louise reflects the life that Sylvia would have lived had she never left the city. They mirror each other. Much of this could stem or from the era they, both, lived and shared the ideologies of what prospects existed for the lives of women, marriage, children, and running households, there was little else for the average woman to hope for.

They both perceive the joining of man and woman as a form of captivity. For Louise, in “Story of an Hour,” it is the institution of marriage; she was never to be more than some man’s wife; little room left for self-discovery or self-aspirations (Chopin 1-3). While, Sylvia, still a child, related herself more to the animals she loves. To be coupled is like being caged, kept from freedom (Jewett).