Sad Irony of Patriarchy- The Story Of An Hour

Textual Analysis of Narratives  

The Story of an Hour; Kate Chopin 1894

Life is full of surprises and irony, the thing that was well illustrated in “The Story of an Hour”. The story by the American author Kate Chopin is a mainstay of the feminist literary study. Originally published in 1894, the short story of approximately a thousand words documents the complicated and ironic reaction of a woman upon her husband’s false death and even after walking in all safe and sound, in a time where Americans were highly influenced by the construction of a good woman reflected by the Victorian lifestyle back in England. In her story, Kate Chopin also tried to display the limitations of the patriarchal system and even marriage towards women in the nineteenth century.

From the outset, Louise Mallard was introduced as a married, weak woman who is receiving Brently Mallard’s death, her husband, from her sister Josephine and her husband’s friend; Richards. The latter go gently on her “in broken sentences, veiled hints that revealed in half concealing” (4-5) as they assume the news is going to be devastating to Louise and threatens her fragile heart. From a one hands, Josephine and Richards provides a better demonstration of society over widows-simply a child that should be taken care of. The heart trouble, on the other hand, indicates a breakdown in the fundamental structure of communities which is marriage as it is the core and root of any society. Thus, Mrs. Mallard’s illness represents a typical 19^th century woman who is entrapped between her desires and the societal expectations from a good married woman. Unexpectedly, only when she is alone in her room Luoise feels overwhelmed with epiphany and a sudden revelation as her consciousness retrieves the thought of freedom and a comfortable happiness. This is symbolically represented via “the open window” (16) in her room  as a gate to her new life that she looks through and being able to be in harmony and recognize the rebirth of nature after the harsh winter “with the new spring life” (20). She can see “patches of blue sky” (24) and even can hear “a distant song which someone was singing” (22) and thus all her senses came back to life again without any restriction in a revealing moment realizing she is finally free from the fact of marriage when “she said it over and over under her breath: free, free, free”. (44-45). Hence, Louise is content as she looks forward to “years to come that would belong to her absolutely” which reflects her new self-possessed life independently without any patriarchal reflection. Nevertheless, the same physical description of excitement is displayed together with a feeling of guilt as an internal conflict in a paradoxical exposition “monstrous joy” (48) and the use of the third narrator or omission narration.

However, Brently Mallard enters the house opening the door with “latchkey” (82) as a proof of the patriarchy system where he belongs to the open space and get in and out whenever he wants unlike Mrs. Mallard who is blocked within the closed space before that front door. Alive and well unaware of what happened, Brently as usual got in “composedly carrying a grip-sack and umbrella” (83-84). Alas, Luoise’s “feverish triumph” (78) and her walking down the stairs as “Godess of victory” (79) vanish and get assassinated right away.

Eventually, Luoise dies. When the doctors determine that Luoise “died of heart disease-of joy that kills” (89-90), one directly notices the explicit verbal irony. It seems that Luoise died because of her loss of the cherished, new found freedom but not because of joy over her husband’s survival.

AAYP Recaps by Zeyneb KHALDI

The unprecedented Arab African Youth Platform in its first edition in Asouan was striking. It was beyond expected as far as the organization, accommodation and every single other detail is concerned. We, as African and Arab young leaders, were so impressed by the Egyptian youth ability and commitment in hosting such a giant forum gathering smoothly delegates from Africa and the Arab world.

       From the outset, the AAYP set itself as the founding platform that enabled young leaders from African and Arab world to finally discuss sustainable development goals that are to be implemented under the Egyptian Chairmanship of the African Union in which it also included the Arab world, for Egypt represents the hook up between the two on the main continuum.

       As ample as the topics’ assortment dealt with, the sessions were congruously diversified. Workshops, discussion panels, open talks, debates, round table discussions and so on, were intermediaries and agencies of introducing the ultimate conceivable challenges of the Afro-Arab relations and suggesting a variety of solutions as to overcome any sort of limitations concerning the matter.

      The platform’s theme was tackled through sessions. Most of the sessions were of vigorous impact, not only did they witness a presidential presence, but they also came up with recommendations that were put into immediate actions, as the registration opening for the WYF LABS as part as the Scientific research enhancement is concerned where ensuring the SDGs incorporation, in addition to registration for the African Presidential Leadership Program (APLP) expanding the benefits to all youth from Africa and the Arab world, likewise, the launch of the Storymate App which helps the delegates and leaders to share their own professional stories as to start entrepreneurship projects.

        One example is the Social entrepreneurship from the African perspective workshop held by Nelson Mandela’s grandson paving the pathway towards social entrepreneurship in Africa and Arab region to youth through the Mandela’s legacy example by gaining new perspectives.

       What is more is the opportunity given by his Excellency not only on the round table discussion but also on the 18th March at the presidential breakfast were the atmosphere was open to suggestions and words whereby African and Arab leaders shared a variety of suggestions such as the African-Arab common market project towards a prosperous economy, government facilities role in the social entrepreneurship, and Visa aperients among the countries for youth.

       As a delegate representing my own country Algeria, I was so pleased to take part in the exchange of ideas among brilliantly successful leaders from different backgrounds, race and ethnicities, the thing that assisted our intelligibility in SDGs initiatives and future insights for Afro-Arab relations.

Zeyneb KHALDI 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/aayp-recaps-zeyneb-khaldi-zeyneb-khaldi/

Femme Noire Analysis-African Literature By Leopold Senghor

“Femme noire/Black woman” is a short lyrical poem extracted from “Chants d’Ombre” collection , written by Senegalese Leopold Senghor. The poem was published after WWII denouncing colonization and celebrating the black culture of the African continent. In his poetic quest, Senghor presents a series of images that are, in effect, the attributes of the black woman in a figurative style. One, hence, perceives the impact of this poem through the imagery, metaphor, and personification that the poet employs in both sensory and emotional ways. Thereby, “Femme noire” became a hymn of praise to the black woman as an individual, and also as a symbol of African race. This essay analyzes the poet’s response and imagery usage throughout the four stanzas whilst explaining the illustrations used.

Within the first stanza, the first two lines serve as a statement of the poem’s theme: the beauty of the natural black woman, who though naked, is “clothed” in her color, which is life and whose form is beauty. The poet has grown up in her shadow and has felt the gentleness of her hands. He thus seems to name her qualities, beginning with a description of the natural woman, and then referring to her as the “promised land”, a plain that rustles and a noon sky at in the midst of summer, and her beauty strikes him directly to the heart, like the flash of an eagle. The poet sees her not only in terms of a person, but in terms of the earth itself, and even the universe.

Moreover, there are other metaphors in the second stanza (more erotic than the first) where the black woman is seen as a lover in terms of ripe fruit, a woman who can relocate him with petulant ecstasies of black wine, a woman with a mouth that makes his own mouth lyric. Senghor went on describing her as a limitless savanna that shudders beneath the caresses of the east wind; a woman who is like a tight, well-sculpted drum that resounds under the fingers of the invader; a woman whose dignified voice becomes the spiritual song of the loved one.

In the third stanza, the oil on her skin is seen by the poet as smooth as on the limbs of an athlete or on those of the princes of Mali. She is almost a goddess-so perfect, a graceful but celestial gazelle. Pearls become stars on the darkness of her skin. The reflections of the setting sun on her skin are delights on which the mind can exercise itself. The poet’s anguish is lightened by the sun-like glance from her eyes, when he is in the shadow of her hair.

Personification is another device used as the poet writes in the fourth stanza of Fate, in a more philosophical way.  The poet here informs the black woman that he is celebrating in verse her beauty, which is passing, and her form, which he establishes eternally in his poetry, before fate can turn her to ashes in order to nourish the roots of life.

In summary, the poet has moved, by means of description, metaphor, and personification, from praise of the black woman herself to an affirmation of the continuation of life. He has saved the best for last as he ends on a note of optimism within the last stanza.

Appendix:

French

Femme nue, femme noire

Vêtue de ta couleur qui est vie, de ta forme qui est beauté

J'ai grandi à ton ombre ; la douceur de tes mains bandait mes yeux
Et voilà qu'au cœur de l'Eté et de Midi,

Je te découvre, Terre promise, du haut d'un haut col calciné
Et ta beauté me foudroie en plein cœur, comme l'éclair d'un aigle

Femme nue, femme obscure

Fruit mûr à la chair ferme, sombres extases du vin noir, bouche qui fais lyrique ma bouche

Savane aux horizons purs, savane qui frémis aux caresses ferventes du Vent d'Est

Tamtam sculpté, tamtam tendu qui gronde sous les doigts du vainqueur
Ta voix grave de contralto est le chant spirituel de l'Aimée

Femme noire, femme obscure

Huile que ne ride nul souffle, huile calme aux flancs de l'athlète, aux flancs des princes du Mali

Gazelle aux attaches célestes, les perles sont étoiles sur la nuit de ta peau.

Délices des jeux de l'Esprit, les reflets de l'or ronge ta peau qui se moire

A l'ombre de ta chevelure, s'éclaire mon angoisse aux soleils prochains de tes yeux.

Femme nue, femme noire

Je chante ta beauté qui passe, forme que je fixe dans l'Eternel
Avant que le destin jaloux ne te réduise en cendres pour nourrir les racines de la vie.


                                                                      English

Naked woman, black woman

Clothed with your color which is life,
with your form which is beauty!

In your shadow I have grown up; the
gentleness of your hands was laid over my eyes.

And now, high up on the sun-baked
pass, at the heart of summer, at the heart of noon,
I come upon you, my Promised Land,
And your beauty strikes me to the heart
like the flash of an eagle.

Naked woman, dark woman

Firm-fleshed ripe fruit, sombre raptures
of black wine, mouth making lyrical my mouth
Savannah stretching to clear horizons,
savannah shuddering beneath the East Wind's

eager caresses

Carved tom-tom, taut tom-tom, muttering
under the Conqueror's fingers
Your solemn contralto voice is the
spiritual song of the Beloved.

Naked woman, dark woman

Oil that no breath ruffles, calm oil on the
athlete's flanks, on the flanks of the Princes of Mali
Gazelle limbed in Paradise, pearls are stars on the

night of your skin

Delights of the mind, the glinting of red
gold against your watered skin

Under the shadow of your hair, my care
is lightened by the neighboring suns of your eyes.

Naked woman, black woman,

I sing your beauty that passes, the form
that I fix in the Eternal,

Before jealous fate turn you to ashes to

feed the roots of life