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Journalism / The Way It Should Be
The Way It Should Be
In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and “Love Should Grow Up Like a Wild Iris in the Fields” by Susan Griffin, the two authors show the irony of the different ways love presents itself in relationships. The theme of irony is depicted by bringing to light the misconception of where love is found in relationships, and more importantly, where it is not. Chopin’s short story depicts a marriage where the wife felt more of an obligation towards her husband than love and her private rebellion in acknowledging her true feelings of joy after hearing of her husband’s death. However, Griffin’s poem shows the unromantic reality of how love presents itself over time. The poem tells of the little romances, which are found in everyday life, that turn simple insignificant events into memories of a life together.
Chopin’s character of the wife, Louise, is described as having a heart condition. For this reason, her family and friends use “great care” (342) to tell her the news of her husband’s death. Her heart condition could symbolize the weak heart she has maintained in her marriage by preventing herself from giving her heart completely to her husband. It is obvious she has not felt much emotion in a very long time, because Louise almost does not recognize the feeling that comes over her after her initial reaction of grief. She “strives to beat it back with her will” (343) but eventually permits it to overtake her. The feeling is the freedom to live for herself without having to share her years to come with a husband she only loved “sometimes” (343).
In comparison, Griffin’s poem shows the romantic as opposed to the realistic side of love. It compares love itself to a wild iris that grows with wild abandon without “a thought to the future” (772). As the wild iris, love should grow without considering the possible death of it, as the iris does not consider growing amid weeds. However, while love should grow strong and purposely regardless of its circumstances, it does not. Real love is more likely to be found “in the kitchens” (772) because that is where everyday life happens. It is found there because that is where it is cultivated and nurtured; in the little things that add up over time and grow to represent a life of memories made together It is found at the chaotic breakfast table, frantically trying to get lunches packed, notes signed and foreheads kissed. It is found in the way a loved one does something unique to only them and the private jokes no one else understands. It’s knowing each other inside and out and still loving each other despite the imperfections.
Louise reflects on her marriage and realizes she will be sad once again when she sees her husband at the funeral. She will not only grieve the loss of a husband but the loss of the only life she has known up to this point. However, because she was a submissive wife and allowed his “powerful will bending hers” (343), she never expresses her unhappiness to her husband and therefore sees his death as a new beginning for her life, which will be alone but free.
Chopin’s Louise is only able to experience her freedom and joy for one hour after learning of her husband’s death. She is in the very middle of relishing the fact that only yesterday she thought “with a shudder” (343) how life might be long and now she is wishing it to be, when she comes out of her room to walk down the stairs with her sister. She is elated and “drinking in the very elixir of life” (343), but her elation is very short lived. Sadly, her heart does not have the capacity for the joy she felt because she does not live beyond an hour of learning of her husband’s death.
The doctors said she died from heart disease, but the author adds a side note to the diagnosis as the “joy that kills” (343). Her joy was too much for her heart to handle which ultimately caused her own untimely death. The literal diagnosis of heart disease is one of being degenerative and evidently had been weakening her heart over time, such as her marriage had weakened her spirit over time. However, the irony at the end of the story though is the fact that she also does not live long enough to see her husband come home from work. He is surprised to find a room full of family and friends that thought him to be dead. Louise never lives long enough to learn that there has been a mistake and her husband is not, in fact, dead but very much alive.
As both Chopin’s story as well as Griffin’s poem shows that love can not be coerced or forced into a relationship. There is no secret to having a love in one’s life, it either is or it is not as well as there is no secret recipe to keeping love once it is found. The authors show that love which lasts is found in the everyday things that are consistent but only when it is appreciated can it continue to grow.
Love should be careless and carefree but it is not. We are cautious with love in fear of our hearts being broken and often they are. Often love dies a slow and quiet death that can not be rescued because no one tries until it is too late. For some, love is a mysterious thing that comes and goes and plagues us by being just beyond our reach. Ultimately though, love when it is under the right circumstances and nurtured through the years, can be a wonderful and memorable thing. It can survive and continue to thrive even in hardships. It will live as long and even longer than we do, but it is what we do with love once we acquire it that determines its life span. As the wild iris, it will grow despite the worse circumstances but has to be cultivated in the right conditions. As the wild iris “comes from the mist of everything else, sees like the iris of an eye, when the light is right, feels in blindness and when there is nothing else tender, blinks, and opens face up to the skies” (772).
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Springer reviewed Version 1 -
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AJack reviewed Version 1 -
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I like the contrasting of the two poems, you really set the piece up well at the beginning by giving us a place to start in our heads with the poems, you also point us in the direction that you piece is going.
Your middle loses its way a little, I think maybe theres to much exposition (although you said this was for English class so there may have been a limit to wrote up to). if you are planning on re doing this then it could stand to be cut down just alittle to keep the flow of the piece more consistent with the beggining.
Wit that said your closing paragraph is perfect, it ties up the themes of both the two poems and your essay and I couldn’t really ask for anything more in a closing statement.
Good work.
Andrew
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debberdoo4 reviewed Version 1 -
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Huntress080 reviewed Version 1 -
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joelhicks reviewed Version 1 -
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I can really find no fault in this peice. I think your comparsions were balanced, and as the same time worked to keep the peice interesting. The works that you choose to report on are both relivent, as well as intriging. I think your thoughts on them are indeepth, and well educated with a splash of personal insight that shows wisdom. Darn good job.
RoadHousePress reviewed Version 1 -
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This essay has a strong opening statement (..the two authors show the irony of the different ways love presents itself in relationships. The theme of irony is depicted by bringing to light the misconception…)that was well supported within the body of the essay. Chopin’s and Griffin’s work was cited in support of this statement with interesting quotes from the respective works that made for a smooth transition between the essayist’s own point of view and that of the two author’s. The closing “As the wild iris “comes from the mist of everything else, sees like the iris of an eye, when the light is right, feels in blindness and when there is nothing else tender, blinks, and opens face up to the skies” is an excellent example of this and provides continuity with the opening statement. While I am not sure that I agree with the essayists premise regarding love, it was very clearly stated through out, holding my interest in the subject. I have never read either of these two pieces, but I feel I have been given a thorough overview of them both. As for the goal … I would say that this is a good foothold, as far as a compare and contrast essay goes.
Deanne reviewed Version 1 -
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The author choses two writings- a story and a poem- to compare and does so because they are definitely opposites in idea and result. It works alright as a comparison or contrast ; however, I saw 3 sentences that can be straightened like a collar or tie hung upon the comparision. “The literal diagnosis of heart disease is one of being degenerative and evidently had been weakening her heart over time” suggests that the “literal diagnosis” is what had been weakening her heart over time. Perhaps “and evidently this disease had been weakening her heart” is what you mean to say.
“As both Chopin’s story as well as Griffin’s poem shows that love can not be coerced or forced into a relationship.” The first “As” suggests she is going to follow that thought up, but she places a period “as” if the sentence ends here. In such cases “as” should be stricken – she does not have a reason for bringing it out, and the sentence becomes an incomplete one. In fact, the use of “both” and “as well” are unecessary, too. Chopin’s story and Griffin’s poem show that love cannot be coerced or forced into a relationship.(One things “shows”; two “show.”)
“We are cautious with love in fear of our hearts being broken and often they are ” reads awkwardly. How about saying “We are cautious with love, fearful of hearts being broken, and often they are.” It states your intent clearly and wipes out the awkward possibilty one will first see “we are cautious with love in fear”, which demands a second reading to clear up.
The comparision works well when these three sentences are fixed ; although I think that more could be reported on the ideas tagged “kitchen love.” This encompasses that human love for children, sisters, parents, etc., the real love we aren’t cautious with , the carefree love that doesn’t consider its death. I feel each should recieve equal weight here. With a little extra work this will make a good analogy. The pieces chosen to make it are good selections , neat opposites, and the writing is mostly well-done.
Chago reviewed Version 1 -
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This is a nice piece. You seem to follow a formula because of the sentences are layout. A little dry because of that. You walk step byt step through the piece and there is no personality to it. You seem to follow the form, “this happened and it might mean this. 1+1=2.” I know its hard to get excited about a paper sometimes, but write everything with confidence.
Nonetheless, its reads clear. Your points are good, but you do not seem confident. You say, “Her heart condition could symbolize the weak heart.” This is your paper, so make it sound like you are confident with your opinion. Say that it “does symbolize” rather than leave it open. Things like this will make your point more believable. Good luck with future papers.
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