Kate Chopin's "The Story of An Hour" deals realistically with the possibilities of life, individual consciousness and choices, and the serendipity by which so much is acquired and lost of one's values. Set in the late 1800s on a Southern plantation, the main character, Louise, faces the news that her husband has died suddenly and the resultant possibilities about the kind of life that she, as an unmarried woman, can now live. "The Story of An Hour" comes to life on film and emphasizes the significance of the theme of imprisonment and freedom through multiple images. In the original written version, the imagery is limited to Louise's memory and her thoughts and Chopin's description of Louise; on the other hand, the film provides visual effects that account for more than a thousand words.
The inception of the story informs the reader that Louise is "afflicted with a heart trouble." Immediately the reader presumes that she has a weak heart. The interpretation of this weakness can be both physical and psychological. Physically, it is obvious that she has a cardiac problem. Psychologically, she is not a strong woman to assert opinion and aggressiveness towards people. This submissiveness brings Louise to an oppressed life with her husband. Chopin intimately reveals Louise's repression by describing her as "young with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength." Chopin's word choice alludes to Louise's "physical exhaustion" and the requisite strength to maintain the facade. Considering that the era of the story is late nineteenth century America, the reader can assume that Louise believes there is no way out of her confining existence. However, as she sits on an armchair, "a suspension of intelligent thought" occupies he!
r mind. As she realizes the potentialities on the type of lifestyle she can now delight in, she indulges in a liberating journey. She then comes to the conclusion that p...