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Literature With Real-Life Applications

By: Andrew DiLeo

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Introduction:

In the stories, “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings”, by Gabriel Marquez, and “A Story of an Hour”, by Kate Chopin, use the motif of oppression to convey real-life messages to the reader. These stories present characters to the reader that deal with oppression but in different ways. Marquez presents an old man with wings who is oppressed by society even though being a “heavenly” creature. Chopin shows the reader a young woman who is oppressed by stereotypes and her husband.

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A Story of an Hour

Societal/Gender Oppression:

Louise Mallard receives news that husband has died. She weeps for a little before retreating to her bedroom. There she finds new emotions. She becomes happy with the idea that she will be free from her husbands oppression, “Free! Body and soul free!,”(Chopin 203). As Louise continues to think about the death of her husband she can not shake the idea that she will be free from the burden of love and her husband create. Back when the story was written women were supposed to be the housewife, cooking, cleaning and basing their lives around their husband’s needs. Women do not have a say in this role they are pushed in by society and by the male gender. This oppression that women face every day does not allow them to pursue a career or even pursue any of their hobbies. The women has been made to fit the “stereotypes” of a good wife which takes care of the children,house and other necessities that are needed to keep the household running while the men pursue a career. The men are considered the “bread-winner’ which means the men are the ones earning money in order to financially support the family. During the time-frame of this story society scorned any women that tried to provide for themselves or for their family. Society has created their “norm” with the women staying home and the men going to work. Society believed that a women should not live on her own, rather she should wed a man to protect her and support her financially. However, once the woman is widowed then society believes the woman does not need to remarry. This idea of not having to remarry runs rabid throughout Louise’s mind and she becomes content with the horrid news of her husband passing. Also, Louise suffers from a heart compilation which can be a symbol of oppression in marriage. The heart problems signify oppression in marriage because of the strain that love and another person does on your heart without you having any input or control of your life.

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A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings

Societal Oppression:

Marquez introduces the reader to Pelayo, who finds a very old man who has washed up onto the shore. The old man is no ordinary man. Attached to his back he has wings. The family then takes the old man into shelter, but they shelter him in a cramped chicken coop, “...he dragged him out of the mud and locked him up with the hens in the wire chicken coop,”(Marquez 586). Pelayo before going to bed dragged the man to his house to then lock him in his chicken coop. By locking the old man in the chicken coop Pelayo has oppressed the old man. Pelayo does not treat him like a human and bring him inside and wash him up like he would do for another human. He treats the old man like an animal. As news goes around about the finding of the old man the society becomes intrigued in his presence and his uniqueness. Many people in the society pin him as a “heavenly” creature and when this happened people started to pay to witness his presence., “The curious came from far away...Pelayo and Elisenda were happy with fatigue, for less than a week they had crammed their rooms with money..,”(Marquez 587). Anyone and everyone from around the town came to see the old man in the chicken coop. Pelayo and Elisenda took advantage of the old man and locked him for monetary reasons. With the old man in the chicken coop his wings begin to age and deteriorate. This deterioration of his wings symbolize the societal oppression they are applying to him. When he is not treated like human but as a creature his “heavenly” factor disappears. This factor disappears because they are not allowing the old man to prosper the way he needs to rather they keep him confined in a small, smelly chicken coop for entertainment purposes. Society forces the old man to become a caged animal with no rights and no control over his life. Society has taken the old man’s life and turned into local television.

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Conclusion:

The recurring motif of oppression continues to present itself within multiple short stories. Societal oppression can be seen through people physically oppressing a “heavenly” creature by confining the old man in a small chicken coop in the story, “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings”. And can be seen again through the stereotypes it requires for women to be “good wives” and a functioning part of society in the story “A Story of and Hour”. Both of these stories allow the reader to delve into the problems of our own society. Marquez shows the reader that in our society that people will do anything to be entertained but once an object loses its value, people throw it away like it never existed. Chopin explores the unrighteousness of society's stereotypes that they place on women and also the cage that men create when they wed a woman and “trap” their wives in the house while the men support the family. Both of these stories show how the reader’s society has mistreated people and that it needs to change.

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Reading of A Story Of An Hour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C7Q8N_IXo8

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Reading of A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdblD4o5AEg&t=257s

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Work Cited

Ashford, Robert. “Oppression.” Rights for Recovery, 2016, rightsforrecovery.org/oppression-fighting-for-equity-in-recovery.

Berthiaume, Judy. “Tunnel of Oppression.” UWEC, 2017, www.uwec.edu/news/news/tunnel-of-oppression-set-for-nov-7-8-2619/.

Dalmasso, Gustavo. “Activists Without Oppression.” Pinterest, 2018, www.pinterest.com/pin/97531148154368303/?lp=true.

DuBon, Michael. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Audiobook).” YouTube, YouTube, 7 Nov. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdblD4o5AEg.

GuestOh, Identity Dixie. “The Myth of Women's Oppression.” Identity Dixie, 17 Nov. 2017, identitydixie.com/2017/11/18/the-myth-of-womens-oppression/.

libribooks. “The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin.” YouTube, YouTube, 8 Feb. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C7Q8N_IXo8.

Magno, Alexandre. “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings.” A Medium Corporation, 2016, medium.com/learning30co/training-is-a-very-old-man-with-enormous-wings-db7c1237f515.

Napikoski, Linda. “How Have Women Fought Against Oppression Throughout History?” Pinterest, 2018, www.pinterest.com/pin/333266441167564547/.

Stock, Shutter. “Man Hand Tied With Wire.” 123RF, www.123rf.com/photo_18289384_man-hand-tied-with-wire-as-a-symbol-of-oppression-or-repression-on-a-white-background.html.