“Everyday Occurrences” The author’s of the stories “The Necklace” and “The Story of an Hour” use ordinary settings and events to help contrast the distinct individualism of their characters. By presenting an everyday occurrence to the audience, Kate Chopin and Guy de Maupassant are able to better illustrate their characters’ individuality in a way the reader can easily relate to. In this way the reader is able to compare the situation to their own …showed first 75 words of 956 total…

…showed last 75 words of 956 total…and Mrs. Mallard may never have come to know individualism, and would have lived much emptier lives as a result. These characters lived striving to become something they clearly were not, and because of this their decisions were not those that made them happy but those that might get them to a “better” place in another’s eyes. The women learn that they must live for themselves “be individuals” to lead a better, free life.