Transformation within Characters Lives
In “Story of an Hour” and “Quincenera”
In Judith Ortiz Cofer’s “Quinceanera” and Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour,” the reader witnesses the transformation within two of the main characters. The similarity between this poem and short story is that both characters are thrown into a life changing situation in which they must now learn to fend and take care of themselves. However while comparing the two, many differences come to light. The fact that the young girl in “Quinceanera,” is unhappy with her new lifestyle, and Mrs. Mallard from “Story of an Hour” couldn't’t be more pleased. Although both were put in life changing situations where they would no longer have someone to completely take care of them, Mrs. Mallard shows how a new gained freedom is not so bad.
A Quincenera is the Latin celebration of a girl's 15th birthday, marking her passage from childhood to adulthood. Originally it meant a girl was ready for marriage, however modern celebration is more of a way to prepare for formal dating. Symbolic actions could include the ridding of a doll, to show that the celebrant is giving up her childhood, and the placement of heeled shoes on her feet, indicating the readiness for adulthood. The Girl In the poem is not ready to take on responsibility and grow up. She is portrayed as a over dramatic and acts like a baby not wanting to take care of herself. Having to store her dolls away forever and comparing it to dead children in a chest. It is evident that she does not want to accept the fact that she is a growing young lady and feels a little betrayed by her family. This was not the case with Mrs. Mallard.
In “Story of an Hour” Mrs. Mallard feels the complete opposite and has an epiphany during her mid-life. She has lived for many years, not as herself but as her husband’s wife she would always feel how she was told or expected to. After receiving breaking news about the sudden death of her husband, Mrs. Mallard goes through a range of emotions. She first experiences shock and then begins to grieve and finally I overpowered by a feeling of pure happiness and relief. Although Mrs. Mallard now has to take care of herself, she is satisfied with that. The narrator states “there would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself.”(317). The ability to finally be free after years of marriage was a dream about to be fulfilled and just the thought of it excited her.
The imagery used in “Quinceanera” shows how the narrator somewhat flip-flops through the poem. At some parts she was grim and blunt yet others soft and serene. The narrator first compares her stored away dolls to dead children in a chest, and then she jumps to describe how soft her body feels. Its almost like a contradiction, she does not want to grow up but she knows her body is maturing and she’s discovering things. She comes off overly dramatic when speaking of her mothers black hairpins being pinned to her skull and her eyes being stretched open while her mother does her hair. She’s exaggerating and comes off as a little kid pouting and ready to throw a fit.
The imagery in “Story of an Hour” was more on an optimistic note. The narrator describes the scenery as cheerful and alive. “She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air.”(316). The mere fact that it was spring symbolized new life and a way to start over fresh. She began to think of life in a different light whereas before it seemed her future would contain nothing but dim days “She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long.”(317).
From reading the short story and poem, it is evident that Mrs. Mallard wishes to continue on and live for the future while the young girl wants to go back in time and be a child again. Mrs. Mallard joyfully accepted what had happened to her husband and felt free. The terror and agony left her face and was instantly replaced with glee. The young girl however probably will cry for sometime before she realizes she has no choice but to grow up. Both endings are blunt and the conclusion is drawn that eventually the girl will take responsibility and do as she is told while Mrs. Mallard’s journey shortly ends after catching a heart attack.
In “Quinceanera” and “Story of an Hour”, it is clear that Mrs. Mallard happily accepted her transformation into a new lifestyle while the young girl did not. Although forced into similar situations, when comparing the two texts, the outcomes of them are ironic. In “Story of an Hour” Mrs. Mallard faces the death of her husband but has an outburst of satisfaction while in “Quincanera,” the young girl is only having to face a little responsibility but acts as if her life is over. The narrator seems pretty ungrateful when it comes to the things her family is doing for her. All she wants to do is play with her dolls without a care in the world. In “Story of an Hour”, it’s almost as if Mrs. Mallard should be viewed as mean because she could care less and is grateful about the death of her husband, but that is not the case here. She simply just wants to live life the way she’s always wanted to without having to ask or be told what to do. For these reasons,
Mrs. Mallard shows how change isn’t always bad even if it seems like the worst thing that can happen to a person. There’s always a bright side.
