A Caricature of an Ungrateful and Unfaithful Wife —A New Interpretation of The Story of an Hour

The Story of an Hour by American writer Kate Chopin is generally regarded as a masterpiece of feminist literature to express the awakening of women’s self-consciousness. The theme of the story is thought to be gender politics by some and to be the contradiction between marriage bondages and celibacy freedom by others. From the perspective of literary interpreter’s cultural context, the author suggests a third interpretation of the story’s theme: it is a caricature of an ungrateful and unfaithful wife.