Character Development: Chopin vs. Steinbeck
             In "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin, the author tells the tale of a passionate woman tied down by her husband, thus creating a similarity between her work and John Steinbeck's, "The Chrysanthemums". Using characterization, Steinbeck and Chopin both create women who have a desire to be more than what their position is by the sides of their husbands after encountering new feelings and realizations. This dynamic characterization is gradual and goes in the order of distaste for what their position is now, to a complete grasp of their desire, and ends with a sudden roll back to their sad repression.
             The authors create the characters of Elisa and Louise with the commonality that both are living under the shadow of their husbands. Chopin and Steinbeck may set this at different times but their repression is obvious. Louise shows this when her thoughts go to living for herself with, "... no powerful will bending her..." (Chopin, p.14). Elisa's subtle reluctance in allowing her husband to falsely anticipate her idea of a night in town shows how she has accepted living under the stereotyped role of woman in the time that Steinbeck is characterizing. "The Chrysanthemums" is a good depiction of most marriages in the early 1900's, the husband is the chief breadwinner and the wife is considered nothing more than a housewife("My Analysis...", Line 8). This is all made with more clarity when another trait that the characters share in common is brought out.
             Flooded with the power of the epiphany, both characters are enthralled with joy of thoughts of freedom to fulfill their passions that require exclusion of their husbands. The authors exemplify this with causing their characters to make a short burst of absolute intensity. Elisa speaks passionately to the wanderer and gets vigorously and decadently ready for the evening out. In this ...