Common Themes Used Throughout the Works of Kate Chopin
             When looking at any work of literature, the theme of the work is an important element of fiction to determine. Finding and understanding the theme can be useful in interpreting the overall meaning of the story. Many times the author will use the same theme throughout their various works. Such is the case with Kate Chopin. Three of Chopin's works: the novel The Awakening and the short stories "The Story of an Hour" and "The Storm" share the same theme of female oppression and independence, as well as freedom from what oppresses them.
             The main theme that runs through Chopin's stories is women trying to find a way out of the oppression placed on them by their husbands and the immoral ways they use to find their personal freedom. It is easy to find this theme in the three before-mentioned works by Chopin. In "The Story of an Hour," the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard, feels overpowered and oppressed by her husband. She is told that while on a trip, her husband, Brently Mallard was killed in a railroad accident. While sad at first, she eventually feels that this is a good thing. She leaves to be alone and whispers, "Free! Body and soul free!" (Chopin, "Story" 446). She feels that this is the only way she will be truly free. While this is what she wanted, it wasn't accepted in the time the story takes place. Women were supposed to be subordinate to their husbands and not question things. If the family were poor, the woman would do all the housework and take care of the children. If the family were affluen!
             t, as is the case in "The Story of an Hour," the woman would have people to care for the house, and she would spend the day at home not lifting a finger.
             Women often married young and married because it was what was expected of them. While they might not have wanted to marry, they certain...