Book Review The Scrivener And Kate Chopin s Story Of...

Suhail 1 Hamza Suhail Professor Ashraf English 130 27 September 2017 Essay 1: A Comparative Analysis of Elements of Fiction in Romantic Era Literature Throughout the ages, society has attempted to control its individuals on the premises of providing stability, security, and social acceptance. In the Romantic era, writers took to their pens to cleverly express their outright dissent with regards to the laws and norms. This is the case presented in both Herman Melville’s Bartleby, The Scrivener and Kate Chopin’s Story of an Hour. Both of them vividly illustrate the enigma that is humanity and how the rules and law do not facilitate individual development to a large extent. These fictional stories track the silent rebellion of the†¦show more content†¦The narrator’s powerlessness and blindness in the face of the lurking presence of Bartleby illustrate his willful ignorance of the situation, to an extent. Bartleby embodied a character that rebelled against societal norms and his ultimate death represented an escape as well as possible worldly defeat, after he was relinquished into society’s merciles s arms. The narrator was a fabric of this very society that Bartleby had attempted to rebel against. In Chopin’s piece, the stark contrast between the language utilized throughout strongly suggests that a female voice is narrating the occurrences in the story; this technique allows the reader to comprehend a woman s take on gender roles within the strict framework of marriage during the 19th century. For example, in the instance when the news of Mrs. Mallard’s husband’s passing is discovered, her sister is employed to convey the message to the protagonist: It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing. There is no special quality or rhythm about the writing style used in this part of the text. The rest of her communication with individuals other than herself are described similarly. On the other hand, the language used when she is alone with her thoughts is so colorful, poetic, and rich with imagery that it emphasizes the importance of the relationship with the self before