Close Reading and Annotation

“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

1.  Read the prompt: After completing the steps below, write a short essay in which you analyze how Kate Chopin, in “The Story of an Hour,” reveals Mrs. Mallard’s mental state.

2.  First reading:

  1. Try to get a sense of Mrs. Mallard’s mental state. Does it change? How? Highlight individual word choices that contribute to our sense of her mental state.
  2. Annotate the text as follows: (use comment boxes)

yes you agree X you disagree + new concept/idea

! WOW ? don’t understand * important

  1. Circle and define the following as Chopin uses them in the passage. Provide a one-word synonym to each. Write the synonym in the margin.

veiled intelligence delicious repression tumultuously will (para. 14) riot

3.  Second reading:

  1. Using a second color of highlighter, mark any words that foreshadow the story’s ending.

4.  In the space below, describe the irony of the ending.

5.  How would you define the narrative point of view of “The Story of an Hour”? How does it affect our interpretation of the story?

6.  Address the story’s ending. What is the possible meaning of the story’s last line?

7.  Create a table. In the left column, you will enter at least five words or phrases that contribute to the audience’s sense of Mrs. Mallard’s mental state. Include paragraph numbers for easy reference. In the right column, include your analysis of how those words/phrases give us an idea of her mental state.

WORDS/PHRASES / ANALYSIS
EX: “wept… with sudden, wild abandonment” (par. 2) / Mrs. Mallard appears to be terribly upset about the death of her husband.

8.  Write a thesis statement in response to the prompt. This statement should include the topic (how Chopin reveals Mrs. Mallard’s mental state) and YOUR analysis of it. In other words, what is our sense of Mrs. Mallard’s mental state? What techniques (think: word choice, irony, foreshadowing) does Chopin use to reveal it? Feel free to use more than one sentence in composing your statement.