The Story of an Hour

In "The Story of an Hour", Mrs. Mallard rejoices her chance to regain her long-lost individuality again after hearing of her husband's death: "They would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending her in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow creature (Chopin, 11)." She finds these thoughts monstrous at first, but she rationalizes them because of the suffering she endured in her marriage without identity.

This play connected a lot with The Glass Menagerie. The main connection I saw was the integral part that the setting played in both. In each story, the action was centered around an apartment. All the conflicts and struggles each family had took place (for the most part) in the apartment. It was how they hid away from the world and coped with their problems as a single unit. Another similarity is, in each story, there is a mother who drives the plot. Both have set goals that they strive for and they ultimately want the best for their children. Whether that be moving to a new house or finding a husband for her daughter, each mother tries her hardest to do what is right. Finally, there are characters in both plays that desire to overcome obstacles or escape their current situation. Basically all the characters in A Raisin In the Sun want to do their own things but struggle because of a lack of money. Walter wants a liquor store to prove that he is worth something. Mama and Ruth want a nice house of their own. Beneatha wants to make a change in bettering mankind. In The Glass Menagerie, Tom wants to set sails and explore, just like they did in all the adventurous movies he watched. Laura, I think, also wants to escape the confines of her handicap and begin to be the person she always had the potential to be.

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