How To Write Headlines That Drive Traffic, Shares, and SEO

How To Write Headlines That Drive Traffic, Shares, and SEO This isnt the first time youve read a post about How To Write The Best  Headlines. Heck, weve even written multiple posts on the subject  ourselves (and plan to write more): Recommended Reading: Why Headlines Came To Rule The Content Marketing World Proof That Emotional Headlines Get Shared More On Social Media We Analyzed Nearly 1 Million Headlines. Here’s What We Learned Here Are The 101 Catchy Blog Title Formulas That Will Boost Traffic By 438% 43 Data-Driven Headline Ideas From 1,000 Of The Most Popular Posts Thats why were not going to waste your time talking  about how important it is to write great  headlines. Its pretty obvious: You want more traffic. Thats why you want more people to find you with search engines. And you want your customers to find your content so valuable that they share it with their networks. And to get technical, you want all that traffic to convert into paying customers. After all, thats the goal of content marketing, isnt it? Writing great  headlines  is one of the best ways to  make your content shareable, get found on search engines, and grow your traffic. Since writing awesome headlines is so important,  we thought a tool to help you write the best  headlines would be right up your alley. How To Write #Headlines That Drive Traffic, Shares, and Search ResultsWrite Better Headlines With 's  Free Headline Analyzer The  headline analyzer is one of the most popular tools we've built. If you've never used it before,  try giving it a shot. Now, for anyone who wants to learn the science behind writing the best  headlines, here's how to  do it. We've put a lot of time into researching what makes an awesome headline. The headline analyzer combines all of that research to scrutinize  your headlines for quality metrics that will most likely result in more  social shares, SEO value, and traffic. All you have to do is type your headline into the headline analyzer, hit "Analyze Now", and the tool provides  a report with those  quality metrics. This Headline Analyzer Makes My Headlines Awesome:  http://.com/headline-analyzerHow Good Are Your Headlines? We recently heard a  Chief Financial Officer speak about setting goals. One  takeaway stuck with us: "What's your number?" He asked,  "If you prioritized  one metric to make a true impact, what would it be?" The headline analyzer does exactly this for your headlines. You get to see your overall headline score (on a scale from 0–100). Your "number" to shoot for is anything above a score of 70. That's how you can gauge how good your headline is. Once you know your headline's score- especially if you're a bit short from your goal of 70 or more- you can use the headline analyzer  to understand areas where you're doing really well or discover the parts you can improve. Incorporate  Keywords To Write The Best  Headlines A big part of content marketing is creating content that is valuable enough to be sought out by your audience. To help your  audience find your content, you need to make sure your headlines use the words those folks are  searching for. Create Content Valuable Enough To Be Sought Out By Your AudienceEvery great  headline focuses on  a keyword. Heck, the long tail keyword for this post is "how to write headlines." The headline analyzer will show you the main keywords it assumes your content is  about. If your keywords aren't quite what you need them to be, this is an opportunity to improve. Use that keyword in your URL slug, meta description, subheads, images, graphics, first sentence, last sentence, and body copy. Using your  keyword throughout the content- combined with your headline- lets search engines know that your headline really does cover the content in the article. Pro tip: Avoid click bait headlines (that don't necessarily include a keyword in  your content) to get click-throughs. If you want your content to be found in search engines like Google, be honest and use a solid keyword that covers the main points of your content. What Types Of Blog Post Headlines Are The Best? There are a ton of different types of headlines you could write. Some get more traction than others as far as shares, SEO juice, and traffic. The headline analyzer helps you categorize your headline ideas: List Post Headlines List post headlines provide ambiguity about the post itself, while arousing your audience's curiosity. You've seen these everywhere. And for good reason. List posts work.  Buzzsumo teamed up with OkDork to share data that basically says list posts get the most social shares after infographics. These headlines give your readers the chance to skim your subheads to see if they'd like to dive in further. Pro tip: If you can outline your blog posts as lists, use list post headlines to get the most social shares from your content. "How To" Headlines Like list posts, you've seen a lot of "how to" headlines. That's because... well, they work. When your audience searches for information, it could be because they want to know how to do something better. That's where you can step in and provide helpful content to position your business as a source of relevant and useful information. Brian Clark from Copyblogger has some awesome things to say about "how to" headlines: It's no secret that 'how to' articles ...  are some of the most sought after, linked to, and bookmarked content online. - Brian Clark I couldn't have said it better. Pro tip:  "How to"  headlines are an obvious choice if you're writing educational content that helps your audience do something. Question Headlines Question headlines  focus on an audience's needs and imply an answer if they  just click through to read your content. These  headlines  are super helpful and relate to how people naturally search for answers: "I have a question. I should ask someone to get the answer." The thing is, instead of asking a person, people are turning to search engines like Google. So figuring out exactly how your audience is  asking their questions- then using those keywords in your headline- might be a great way to get the traffic you're looking for. Of course, there are multiple ways to use questions in your headlines- not just the problem and solution method. You could imply a "yes" or "no" response, or one that draws on emotions. Pro tip: Be careful when using question headlines. At least tease the answer to the question in your introduction to keep readers interested. Generic Headlines If list post, "how to", and question headlines are among the best types of headlines, generic post headlines are a warning that you might be able to improve. If you have a generic headline, the headline analyzer will let you know. This is an opportunity to change the structure of your headline to improve your headline score. Pro tip: Avoid generic headlines whenever you can. List post, "how to", and question headlines have a better opportunity to get social shares, traffic, and overall SEO value. Review Your Word Balance To Write The Best  Headlines For any post, you'll want a nice balance among common, uncommon, emotional, and power words. A structure like this helps your post remain readable while commanding attention from your audience. Just type your headline into the headline analyzer to see the categories in which  your words fall. After you modify your headline a few times, you'll get a feel for which words fall into the four categories. But just to give you some background, here's how your word balance  works: Common Words Should Make Up  20–30% Of Your Headline Common words are ones you use all the time. Common words  pull your headlines together in a way that makes sense for readability. Since commonly occurring words provide  the basic structure of your headlines, they should make up about 20–30% of the words in your headlines. Uncommon Words Should Be About 10–20% Of Your Headline Uncommon words are unique enough to grab your readers' attention. These words provide substance in your headline. A mix of 10–20% uncommon words in your headlines should do the trick. Emotional Words Make A  Good Headline At 10–15% Density Emotional words in your headlines entice your audience to click through to read your post. And once they're reading your posts with emotional headlines, your readers are more likely to share them. You have a good headline if 10–15% of the words in your headline are emotional. Power Words: Use At Least One In Your Headline Like emotional words, power words are usually phrases that are well-known for inciting action. Power words  are uniquely different than emotional  words because they are a bit out of the ordinary. These words inspire an emotion or call to action without a lot of context. Power words are typically rarely used words or phrases that almost guarantee some clicks through to your blog posts. Great headlines have at least one power word in them. Find The Best Length For Your Blog Post Headlines Optimal Character Length + Google = Most Click-Throughs Did you know headlines that are 55 characters long get the highest number of click-throughs? You probably  already look at your word count, but characters matter, too. The headline analyzer also shows you how your post will look in a typical Google search. Keep in mind that Google also recently updated the maximum length of title tags. While they were previously limited to a width of 512 pixels (roughly 50-55 characters), the world's most popular search engine now displays up to 70 characters in SERPs. Are You Using Headlines As Email Subject Lines? You get 20 characters before the average email subject line  is cut off. If you can revise your headline, use your keyword in the first 20 characters to help your audience understand what the email is about. According to the old journalism idiom: Don't bury the lede. It's more important in subject lines than anywhere else to make sure your keyword is in the first 20 characters. Amount Of Words Headlines with 6–7 words typically get the best results. However, different sources say  different things about how many words to use in your headlines. A fairly standard best practice is to let 10 words be the maximum you'd ever want to use in a headline. That said, there are six words that matter the most in every blog post headline: the first three and the last three. Most readers tend to read the first three and the last three words of a headline. This is just another reason to get your keyword within the first 20 characters of your headline. Sunshine And Rainbows Make Fantastic Headlines Is your headline positive or negative? Research proves  that positive headlines that convey stronger emotions tend to perform better than negative sentiment. When we researched the emotional marketing value of headlines, we  looked at Dr. Hakim Chishti's work. He found that emotional language creates a very predictable response. Headlines that affect very strong emotions- whether positive or negative- often get the best results. If your headline falls in the middle of these extremes, it'll probably get less traction. To connect that research with your headline: Strongly positive emotions tend to get shared more  than anything else. You can go negative, but it can be difficult to nail perfectly. Headlines With Strongly Positive Emotions Get Shared MoreThe headline analyzer points this out so you can modify your headline from the get-go. Write Better Blog Post Headlines To Get Better Results We know from Copyblogger that eight of ten people- a staggering 80% of your audience- will only see your headlines and nothing else. Only two of those ten- 20%- will read your article. Your headline exists to entice your readers to dig deeper into your content. As they dig deeper, your traffic grows. If your audience really enjoys what you have to say, they'll share it with their networks. And once that happens, you should get more traffic- and therefore rise in the ranks of the search engines. It all begins with a few simple words, right? So if you spend your time writing an awesome post, you should pay attention to the science of making the headline awesome, too.

HIS-102-Western Civ Post 1689 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HIS-102-Western Civ Post 1689 - Assignment Example It is also important to note that parliamentary monarchy is bound to constructional provisions of the state, but there are power exceptions in the event of constitutional crisis (Witmer 42). United Kingdom is a good example of a parliamentary monarch. Political absolutism is organized like a monarchy, but political power is unlimited and centralized to the ruler. In other words, the political leader has authority over the state. Absolutism lacks constitutional provisions, thereby directing governance and leadership to the discretion of the political leader. Examples of absolutism include Nazi Germany and North Korea’s political system. In most cases, political absolutism exhibits critical practices of dictatorship. In a parliamentary monarchy, one family could dominate the monarch for centuries while elective positions are shared by the legislature. On the other hand, political absolutism is likely to result in the violation of human rights. In this respect, a parliamentary monarchy is better than political absolutism because it is constitutional in

Analysis of the Allegory Of The Cave, Delphic Quest, and Aristotle's Essay

Analysis of the Allegory Of The Cave, Delphic Quest, and Aristotle's On The Soul - Essay Example Eventually a prisoner is released and the allegory details his progression out of the cave and into higher states of knowledge. It’s abundantly clear that the prisoners shackled in the cave represent humans at beginning stages of cognitive knowledge. Plato urges the reader to consider the prisoners’ predicament in terms of knowledge, ‘Now consider what would happen if their release from the chains and the healing of their unwisdom should come about in this way.’ As the prisoner is released from the shackles and realizes that the fire and statues have caused the shadows, he has then metaphorically passed from the imagining stage of reason to the belief stage, as evidenced in N. Jordan’s chart. However the prisoner is still unaware of the world outside the cave and as he exits the cave he gradually becomes privy to a higher stage of cognitive development, â€Å"At first it would be easiest to make out shadows, then the images of men and things reflected in water, and later on the things themselves. After that, it would be easier to watch the heavenly bodies and the sky itself † As the prisoner exits the cave, man is correspondingly shown to have entered the thinking stage of cognitive development, where mathematical concepts are implemented through reason to construct and understand the world. The prisoner then enter the final stage of cognitive development where they witness the actual objects that witness the cave from the outside, the actual objects that cause the reflections in the water, and ultimately the sun itself, â€Å"And now he would begin to draw the conclusion that it is the sun that produces the seasons and the course of the year and controls everything in the visible world.† This final stage is the Form of the Good, this seems to correspond to Plato’s concept of the idealized forms and Socrates concept that the unexamined life is not worth living, to conclude that the

Classroom Management article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Classroom Management article - Essay Example The article posits that contrary to popular belief, effective teacher-student relationship has less to do with a teacher's personality and more to do with specific teacher behavior that includes dominance, cooperation and an awareness of high-need students. Appropriate Levels of Dominance. Dominance is not a negative characteristic, but implies a teacher's ability to, "provide clear purpose and strong guidance". In fact most students, when surveyed preferred such teachers over more permissive ones. Cooperation. Teachers and students need to work together as one team. Allowing students to set their own goals and asking for their suggestions creates a sense of involvement and sends the message that the teacher, "cares about and tries to accommodate students' interests". Although in a position of authority, the teacher must remain approachable to students both within and outside the classroom. Awareness of High-need Students. Studies have shown that as many as 12 to 22 percent of students suffer from some sort of mental or emotional strain. The average teacher is neither equipped nor trained to deal with such students, who can be a disruptive influence. An awareness of this fact, coupled with a few simple techniques can go a long way in maintaining effective classroom management. The paper identifies the various types of high needs students, their characteristics, and the strategies that c

Simply Speaking Legal Positivism Philosophy Essay

Simply Speaking Legal Positivism Philosophy Essay Simply speaking legal positivism is synonymous with the positive norms as against the principles of natural law. Legal positivism is often contrasted with Natural law. Going by the natural law school of jurisprudence, most written laws must be or are usually informed by, or made to comport with, universal principles of morality, religion, and justice, such that if not considered fair, it loses the very basic premise for being termed law. For example, persons engaging in peaceful protest through civil disobedience often appeal to a higher natural law in denouncing societal practices that they find objectionable. Legal positivism acknowledges the existence and influence of non-legal norms as sources to consult in evaluating human behaviour, but they contend that these norms are only aspirational, for persons who contravene they suffer no immediate adverse consequences for doing so. By contrast, positivists emphasize that legal norms are binding and enforceable by the police power of the administration, where persons who disrupt the law may be made to face serious consequences which may include fine, custody, loss of property, may end up with death. Legal positivism is based on the ways in which laws have been created and does not demand justification for the content of law or a decision for or against the obedience to law. As such emphasis is mostly on the way laws have emerged over time through practicing, deciding or tolerating certain ways of creating a law. Positivism is based on the framework that issues of legal validity must be strictly separated from questions of morality. What is ought to be has nothing to do what the law actually is. Legal positivism finds it roots way back in ancient Christianity. It is believed that the Ten Commandments held sacred and pre-eminent values. When ancient Greeks intended for a new law to have permanent validity, they inscribed it in stone or wood and displayed it public for all to see. Prior to the American Revolution, English political thinkers like John Austin and Thomas Hobbes came up with the command theory of law. This philosophy model said that the only lawful establishments that the Courts should recognize are the commands of the sovereign. This was because only the Sovereign is entrusted with power over the military and police force. Three varied schools of thought emerge in discussion of legal positivism. 1. The Pedigree Thesis: The pedigree thesis asserts that legal validity is a function of certain common truths. Deriving profoundly from Jeremy Bentham, John Austin  [1]  contends that the major characteristic feature of a legal system is the presence of a sovereign who is habitually obeyed by most people living in the society, but not in the routine of observing any specific human superior. Austins assessment, a rule R is lawfully binding (that is, is a law) in a society S if and only if R is directed by the sovereign in S and is backed up with the danger of an approval. The severity of the threatened sanction is irrelevant; any general sovereign imperative supported by a threat of even the smallest harm is a law. For Austins command theory of law there is a need for the existence of identifiable sovereign in self-governing civilizations. In the United States of America, for instance, the final political power appears to belong to the common people, who pick leaders to represent their welfares. The chosen leaders have the authority to compel the behaviour but are regarded as servants of the people and not as repositories of independent power. The polling population, on the other hand, seems to be the source of the final political authority, yet it lacks the immediate power to coerce behaviour. Thus, in democracies like that of the United States, the final political authority and the power to coerce behaviour seems to reside in different entities. However according to the reputable H. L. A. Hart  [2]  , every legal system must contain so-called primary rules that regulate citizen behaviour, a system consisting entirely of the kind of liberty a restriction found in the criminal law is, at best, a elementary or nascent legal system. The Pedigree theory focuses on the specific rule, namely that necessitates citizens to do or abstain from certain actions, whether they wish to or not. On Harts view, Austins stresses on powerful force that leads him to overlook the presence of a second kind of primary rule that confers upon citizens the authority to produce, alter or extinguish rights and obligations in other persons. Hart lays down, the guidelines for leading the creation of contracts and wills cannot plausibly be characterized as restrictions on freedom that are backed by the danger of a approval. These directions allow people to structure their legal relations within the coercive framework of the law-a feature that Hart corre ctly regards as one of laws greatest contributions to public life. The concept relates clearly to a complete monarchy, but it is not vibrant when applied to a society where some group is the sovereign. L. A. Hart argues that the command theory cannot distinguish between a legitimate government and an armed robber (give me your cash or else). The above-mentioned philosophy is completely based on compulsion. Therefore, on Harts opinion, there are two basic situations that are necessary for the existence of a legal system: On one hand those rules of behaviour which are valid according to the systems ultimate criteria of validity must be generally obeyed, and, on the other hand, its rules of recognition specifying the criteria of legal validity and its rules of change and adjudication must be effectively accepted as common public standards of official behaviour by its officials. Harts view is vulnerable to the same criticism that he levels in contradiction of Austins. Hart discards Austins interpretation as the official application of coercive force can no more give rise to an obligation than can the application of coercive enforced by a gunman. Nevertheless the condition is not unlike that, if the gunman takes the internal point of view towards his authority to give rise such to a hazard. Regardless of the gunmans confidence that he is permitted to make the threat, the victim is grateful, but not obligated, to obey the gunmans commands. A gunmans behaviour is no less coercive because he believes he is entitled to make the threat. 2. The Separability Thesis: Legal positivism also finds its explanations in the Separability thesis. In its universal form, is the Separability thesis asserts that law and morality are conceptually distinct. According to this theory only an object-level claim is made about the existence of conditions for legal validity. More commonly, the Separability thesis is interpreted as making only an object-level claim about the existence conditions for lawful legitimacy. For example H.L.A. Hart  [3]  defines it, the Separability thesis is no more than the simple contention that it is in no sense a necessary truth that laws reproduce or satisfy certain difficulties of morals; however in detail they have frequently done. Insofar as the objective level of understanding the Separability thesis denies it, its a necessary truth that there are moral constraints on legal validity, it suggests the presence of a conceivable legal system in which there are no moral constraints on legal validity. 3. The Discretion Thesis: Another theory commonly associated with positivism is the discretion thesis, conferring to which judges resolve problematic cases by making new law in the exercise of discretion. According to this theory a set of valid legal rules is exhaustive in nature and if any persons case is not covered under such a rule, then that particular case cannot be decided by applying that particular law. This gives the judges a quasi-legislative power to create or promulgate a law in circumstances where a case is not covered by a rule and hence the case cannot be decided by interpreting by applying an existing law/rule. Though often associated by positivism, the discretion thesis does not fit into the positivisms hypothetical idea. The pedigree and Separability theories mean to be conceptual claims that are true of every possible lawful arrangement. These two entitlements jointly proclaim that, within in every possible legal structure, the intentions of law are lawful in virtue of having been manufact ured according to some set of social agreements  [4]  . In this regard, there are no ethical restraints on the content of law that hold in every possible legal system. There could be three different senses in which a judge might be said to have discretion: (1) a judge has discretion when she exercises judgment in applying a legal standard to a particular case; (2) a judge has discretion when her decision is not subject to reversal by any other authority; and (3) a judge has discretion when her decision is not bound by any legal standards. Going by these, the discretion thesis is inconsistent with ordinary legal exercise. Even in the greatest problematic cases where there is no clarity appropriate law, lawyers dont request the judge to adapt the relevant issue by making new law. Each lawyer cites cases favourable to her clients position and argues that the judge is bound by those cases to decide in her clients favour. As a practical matter, lawyers hardly, if ever, acknowledge th ere are no legal morals governing a case and ask the judge to legislate in the exercise of discretion. 4. Conclusion: I conclude by saying that the modern rules in relation to particular place or people were mostly traced or taken from the past rules or from another lawful organization. All the contemporary laws have its individual creation, the issue of conflict of positivists view and historical interpretation is not as real as it thought. The most influential criticism of legal positivism all flow from the suspicion that it fails to give principles its due. The law has significant tasks like bringing harmony and peace in our lives, preceding the common good in safeguarding human rights, or to rule with honesty and therefore it has more relevance with our morals. A. Lon Fuller denies the separation of law and morality. He considers that all the good qualities and characteristics flow by clear consistent and open practices, which can be found not only in law but also in all other social practices in which those features including custom and positive ethics prevail. Further he reproaches that if law is a matter of fact then we are without an explanation of the duty to obey. If amoral law is made there is an obligation to obey.

Word Processing Technology and the Process of Writing :: Technological Essays

Word Processing Technology and the Process of Writing Word processors have been in use in our country and across the globe for quite some time. Elementary school students, High school Students, as well as College and University students all use them everyday to produce written texts from many different genres. Pens and paper have been forgotten. Has the formal process of writing also been forgotten? Have word processors changed the way people write – permanently (I misspelled that word and fixed it using spell check)? The most recognized definition, if there is one, of a writing process was formulated by Flowers and Hayes in 1980. They were two of the first theorists to formally recognize that there are basically three distinct types of cognitive writing processes. The first is the process of planning. This is where the writer will decide what to say and exactly how to say it. The next step is the actual generation of written text. This process occurs when the writer uses their plan to produce an actual piece of writing. The last process in the Flowers and Hayes model is revision. This is where the writer makes all possible revisions to improve the quality of their written work. These three processes do not appear to happen in any specific order. There is no set pattern to follow. The order with which the writer engages in and completes each process, as well as the amount of time each writer spends performing each process, will vary depending upon the organization methods of the writer. The w riter will look at their own individual goals and decide how to manipulate the various processes to best meet their agenda. Theoretically, these students could be moving their work forward in a purposeful direction by backtracking through a given process. This model enforced the idea that writing is a recursive process rather than a straightforward linear process incapable of being altered. The Flowers and Hayes model has often been referred to as the â€Å"writing process approach.† Of course there are many other credible models for the writing process, but this definition suits my purposes by providing a backdrop for discussing the changes made by word processors on a long accepted, though often debated, definition of the writing process (Barrow 13-18). Word processors are good for storing data, manipulating and formatting individual characters which make up the text of a final written document, and improving the writing mechanics of student work as a whole.

Oppression of Women in 19th Century Literature

Oppression of Women in 19th Century Literature In the stories â€Å"The Jewelry† by Guy de Maupassant, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin, and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the female characters are unequal and less important than the men in society. The duties of women during this time period did not consist of much more than seeing to her husband’s needs and caring for the home and children. The authors show the lack of independence women were allowed in the 1800s, especially in marriage. The stories express women’s cry for equality and their feelings of entrapment in their marriage.Each story elaborates on the importance of social class in the 19th century, how women were presented in society, and how society trapped and defined them as individuals. Maupassant conveys the importance of marriage during this time frame when he includes in â€Å"The Jewelry† that Mrs. Lantin’s mother visited bourgeois families in hopes of marrying her daughter off (Booth69). The public’s view on matrimony took a toll on the independent lives and decisions of women. A woman’s image at this time was important; it reflected who they were, as well as where they came from.Expectations for women to fulfill their duties as a homemaker left little room to deviate from the social normality. Women usually depended on their husband’s income to support their lifestyle; seldom were they employed. Therefore, many women fancied men who were of a high social class. In â€Å"The Jewelry†, Mrs. Lantin’s mother searched among the families of the middle class to find a husband for her daughter. Maupassant mentions in the story that Mrs. Lantin and her mother were poor. In order to relieve her daughter of the burdens of poverty, Mrs. Lantin’s mother tried to find a husband who was of a higher social status.Due to the substantial increase in the size, power, and prestige of t he middle class, the 19th century became known as â€Å"the century of the middle class†(â€Å"Women in the Middle Class† 1). An individual’s wealth contributed to how they were viewed by other members of society. To some, image seemed like the most important characteristic one could have. In the story, Mrs. Lantin wears precious stones and pearls when she attends the theatre (Booth 70). Her husband mentions how they do not have the means to afford such extravagant treasures, but his wife insists on wearing the jewelry in public anyway. Mrs.Lantin may be considered wealthy by the public because she wears precious stones. But in real life, her husband does not make enough to support the lavish image she gives off to others. She continues to wear the jewelry out, portraying an image of wealth and well-being. Maupassant mentions in his story how it is unsightly for women to go out in public unaccompanied by their husband (Booth 70). Again, this establishes the uneq ual views towards women in the 1800s. If it was uncommon for a woman to travel alone, the idea of a woman supporting herself, or even deciding for herself would have been absurd.In a society where the public frowns upon the idea of female independence, many women were forced to hide any ideas or desires for change they may have had. In this time, if women were to rebel or stand against domesticity, they were often declared insane, and confined to a mental asylum (â€Å"Women and Psychiatry† 1). Here, they were treated even more poorly than when they were in the custody of their husbands. The fear of consequences silenced many women who may have desired something more than the typical lifestyle of a home maker.In â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, Chopin expresses the thoughts that could have been running through the minds of women who were caught in this time of gender inequality. Mrs. Mallard is described in Chopin’s story as a typical married woman of the 19th centu ry. A woman we can imply has stood faithfully by her husband and fulfilled her connubial duties throughout the years of their union. In the story, Mrs. Mallard has obviously suffered a terrible loss in learning of her husband’s death. We can tell by her reactions that she cared deeply for him. In the midst of her grieving, Mrs.Mallard pictures the time that is to come, when she will be able to make all of her own decisions and will be given the freedom to live her life as she pleases. Suddenly, she feels relieved more than she is upset. â€Å"She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death†¦but she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely (Booth 307). Her desire for freedom overcame the despair of her husband’s death. Chopin includes that Mrs. Mallard tried to fight off these ideas with her will (Booth 307).Her embraced feelings of independence could have been viewe d as forbidden. Although she is excited by these thoughts, she tries to resist the pleasure she truly feels when she realizes the freedom that she has gained. The words â€Å"free, free, free! † escaped from her mouth (Booth307). She attempted to hold back the overwhelming desires for her own life. Perhaps she is hesitant to welcome these feelings because of the public view on women’s rights, and the potential consequences for those who opposed such views. Despite the faithfulness and love Mrs.Mallard showed for her husband, the extreme relief she felt in no longer having a marital obligation overpowered her feelings of sadness and loss. At the end of the story, Mrs. Mallard’s husband walked through her front door in the flesh, but Mrs. Mallard’s heart could not handle the excitement. The doctors said she died of â€Å"joy that kills†. Since Mrs. Mallard was so overwhelmed by her newly gained idea of independence, one can assume this joy is that of forbidden pleasure. Many would consider it immoral to accept so easily the death of one’s betrothed just because of the freedom acquired.The story shows how it was wrong for women to desire independence from their husbands, regardless of they were treated. In many cases, men responded to their wives as they would children; by limiting their options and making choices for them. Eventually, ideas emerged that women were truly incapable of anything other than caring for their families. In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, Gilman clearly expresses how John (the husband) treats his wife similarly to how one might treat a child. On one occasion, he even refers to his wife as â€Å"little girl†.The name itself signifies the lack of maturity women were thought to have, along with their defenselessness. Ideas such as these allowed men to dominate over decisions made in households, and in most cases, over women themselves. The narrator tells in the story how her husband will â€Å"hardly let her stir without special direction† (Booth 323). Throughout the story, the narrator mentions several things to her husband regarding her discomfort in the house and her wishes for early departure, but each time she is disregarded, or redirected.While women were subject to orders, men were free to do as they please. There were very few who decided to speak in favor of equality for women; of those who did, most were sent to an asylum. This allowed little hope for women seeking progress or escape. Gilman illustrates this in his story. â€Å"The outside pattern becomes bars, and the woman behind it as plain as could be† (Booth 323). he is saying that there is woman trapped in the wallpaper, but more importantly he is showing the feelings of entrapment faced by women. Most living conditions were similar among women.The desire for equality was a mutual feeling amongst the women of the 1800s. Gilman writes â€Å"Sometimes I think there are a great and many w omen behind it† (Booth 325). This signifies how many women in this time shared similar feelings of complication in terms of their marriage and their place in society. Without a voice to lead them out of sexual oppression, most women accepted the conditions given to them. The ideas of 19th century society sculpted lives of many women in ways that were not enjoyable, and rather served as a burden to the women who were indeed victimized in this time frame.The way a woman presented herself in society strongly reflected her character. Matrimony or lack thereof, served as a strong basis to this social image which was very important. Each story mentioned holds a female character who is in some way oppressed by the social dominance of men. Each character it treated unequally, or as if they were of little importance. Women in this era were trapped in their own lives. Works Cited Anderson, Lori. â€Å"Marriage and Women From 19th Century On. † Women and Issues of a Woman. CyberPa rent, n. d. Web. 9 February 2013. Booth, Allison, and Kely J. Mays. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 10th ed. Ed. Peter Simon. New York: W. W. Norton, 2011. Print. McElligott, Caitlin. â€Å"The 19th Century Debate. † Women’s Higher Education in the United States. N. p. n. d. Web. 24 February 2013. â€Å"Women and Psychiatry. † Brought to Life. Science Museum, n. d. Web. 20 February 2013. â€Å"Women in the Middle Class in the 19th Century. † http://web. clark. edu/afisher/HIST253/lecture_text/WomenMiddleClass_19c_Europe. pdf. N. p. n. d. Web. 2 March 2013.