Comparing And Contrasting The Characters Love Behavior English Literature Essay

Love as many definitions, the most popular one is a greatly tender, passionate affection for another person. The characters from “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, “To my Dear and Loving Husband” by Anne Bradstreet and “Good Country People’ by Flannery O’Connor defines love through their actions and remarks towards the ones they say they love. A person’s action is directly link to their understanding of love, their actions has a good or bad effect on the relationship.

 In “The Story of an Hour” Kate Chopin tells the story of a woman named Mrs. Mallard who had heart problems, she was just given bad news from her sister that her husband had passed away in a train accident. Mrs. Mallard emotions were not pain or sadness, but happiness. She was pleased that he husband was no longer living because it allowed her to be free from her husband uncontrollable ways. Ms. Mallard did not allow her sister Josephine to see her happiness but instead “wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms.” (Deanna, pg 38)

After the grief Mrs. Mallard went to her room asking no one to follow her, “she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion” (DaYanni, pg 39) in the comfortable armchair that was in front of an open window. There she begins to think of her husband and how he deaf would allow her to be free. “She whispered free! Body and soul free” (DaYanni, pg40) She was comfortable with this and now could live life for herself. She now felt in control and no longer had to be controlled by her husband.

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Josephine was concern about her sister so she kneeled to the door and called for her “For heaven sake open the door” (DaYanni, pg 40) Josephine opened the door to Mrs. Mallard’s room with excitement in her eyes, she glad her and headed for the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs was Richard, it was he who found out the news at the newspaper office. The front door opened to Mrs. Mallard’s house it was Brently Mallard, her husband. “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease-of joy that kills.” (DaYanni, pg 41)

However, Anne Bradstreet wrote a poem “To My Dear and Loving Husband” that expressed romantic and unconditional love towards her husband. Anne started her poem by saying “If ever two were one, then surely are we. (DaYanni, pg 1077) she was acknowledging that her marriage was one, and that no one could separate her marriage. Throughout reading it is clear that Anne Bradstreet was speaking to people who cherish and were in love with their partners.

Anne expressed her love for her husband by stating “If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.” (DaYanni, pg 1077) She wanted the people to know that if any woman loved their husband they would never love him as deep as she loved her husband. “I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold or all the riches that the East doth hold.” (DaYanni, pg 1077) she uses this language to give the people an idea of just how much she loves her husband. She compares his love to gold because it is a rare treasure in America; it shows that no one can have the love that she has.

“My love is such that rivers cannot quench” (DaYanni, pg1077) describe that their love is never-ending; it also states that her love is so strong that nothing could change her feelings for her husband. “When we live no more, we may live ever” (DaYanni, pg 1077) Anne is telling her husband that they must continue on with their love, so when they die the love will still live ever.

Self love is when an individual is in love with their self and no one can change that. Their pride is so high they look down on others, and say hurtful things to them to bring their self up. People who usually have this behavior have a self esteem problem and they don’t want anyone to know about it so they behavior in a manner that is unacceptable to other people. However if this person find someone they can share their feelings with they are liable to breakdown and share their true feeling about their live.

Self love is the type of love Hulga had for herself in Good Country People, Hulga birth name was Joy. She didn’t like it because she didn’t think that it was the right name for her. She wanted a name that was ugly, which she felt best describe her. When she turn twenty-one and got away from her home she changed it to Hulga, which reflected her feeling about her injured body and self. Hulgawas highly educated but has a heart condition that would not allow her to live alone; she was thirty-two but acted like a child. She made rude comments and ugly facial expressions to her mother. Hulga blamed her mother for her condition, this is why she acted so mean towards Ms. Hopewell.

“When Hulga stumped into the kitchen in the morning, she would glance at them and did not speak. (DaYanni, pg 190). Hulga would do things like this to make the people in the house mad, she wanted them to feel the way she did. Occasionally Hulga would have outburst towards her mother, “Woman! Do you ever look inside? Do you ever look inside and see what you are not? God! (DaYanni, pg 191) Hulga was a self-centered, arrogant individual who had prepared to accept herself to live a life believing in nothing.

However, Mrs. Hopewell was just the opposite, she loved her daughter unconditionally. She would do anything for her, even though she was a grown woman Ms. Hopewell felt really bad for her daughter because she had lost her leg to an accident in the wood when she was ten years old. Ms. Hope well would always spoke nice words to her daughter hoping she would return the same. Ms. Hopewell was also a patient person that was able to look over her daughter ignorance when she disrespected her. Ms. Mallard wanted the best for Hulga so she would encourage her to talk to the salesman.

The characters from each works had their own way of expressing their love towards their spouse or family member. Mrs. Mallard had no love for her husband, but stayed with him because she had no choice, woman did not have much say so then. However Anne was deeply in love with her husband and she wasn’t afraid to tell the world, Anne expresses her love by using Imagery language. Anne had unconditional love for her husband. Hulga had a lot of hatred in her because of her experience at a younger age. She blamed her mother for her condition and tortures her by changing her name to the ugliest name there was and being respectful.

There is not just one definition for love, love can be expressed in many ways whether its good or bad. The characters from “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, “To my Dear and Loving Husband” by Anne Bradstreet and “Good Country People’ by Flannery O’Connor showed love their actions and remarks towards the ones they say they love. Different types of love can be compared and contrast but they will never have the same meaning.