Short Story Criticism Argument Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Short Story Criticism Argument Paper - Essay Example tho in Chopins age much(prenominal) an attempt of a woman to seek for independence which seems to be insulting to the male-dominated society usually ends in spate like Louise, as Wang says in the following sentence, By the death of Louise at the end of the story, Chopin clearly implies that any womans search for ideal distaff selfhood is impossible in an age dominated by patriarchs (Wang 107). Indeed the textual evidences that Wang puts forth are not strong enough to prove his proposition as a fact. In this paper, I will prove that Wangs offer about Chopins motif in the story is part right and partially abuse. It is true that Kate Chopin explores feminine selfhood in a patriarchal society but not through the heroines spiritual tour to freedom. Again, unlike Wangs proposition, Chopins heroine does not show any sign of attempt to search for her feminine selfhood. What Wang says in support of his claim about the heroines spir itual journey to freedom is the textual reference to Louises reaction to the possibility of freedom at the possible death of her husband. Louises integrity-hour reaction to the possible freedom does not involve any struggle that could provoke the protagonists awareness of her imprisonment in the male dominated society. Therefore, Wangs phrase, the heroines spiritual journey to freedom, is quite meaningless in the sense that Chopins protagonist does not make a journey to freedom. Indeed freedom once comes to her unexpectedly. Again, since Louise is vile of what imprisons her in a male dominated society, she can see only the minimal aspect of freedom. For Chopins protagonist, freedom means to await for herself, not for others, to live on ones own will, as the narrator of the story tells Louises feeling for the oncoming freedom There would be no one to live for during those coming years she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistenc e with which men and women deal they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature (Chopin 89). Such perception of freedom rather reveals the protagonists immatureness and failure to perceive the greater responsibility that freedom imposes upon the one who enjoys it. When to live for others is supposed to be ones duty ones freedom to avoid it should be considered as anarchy. Louises perception of freedom is ultimately flawed, because she seeks freedom from her responsibilities for others and because she does not seek freedom to be responsible. However, Louise herself is not responsible for such flawed perception of freedom rather she is a mere production of the patriarchy that shapes her psychological development in such way. Unlike Wangs claim that Louise makes a journey to freedom at the prospect of her husbands death, she remains far away from freedom in its true sense. Apart from this wrong interpretation, Wang righteously asserts that Chopins protagonist begins to form her selfhood hearing the news of her husbands death. Though Wang claims that Louise searches for ideal feminine selfhood (Wang 108), Chopins portrayal of Louises emergent self is purely asexual, not a feminine selfhood. A man also can possess the self that Louise starts to form after hearing the death-news. It is the self (the asexual one) that defies any bondage and repression in any form and that always resists the suppressive power. Louise