In Guy DeMaupassant's, "The Necklace" and Kate Chopin's, "The Story of an Hour" the protagonists are females. They are both round and dynamic characters, who struggle with inner conflicts. Many differences as well as likenesses are identified between the two characters, who would like to make major changes in their life.

The settings of the stories take place in the late 1800's. During this time women were restricted from doing many things such as: working outside of the home, they were controlled by their spouses, and they had to be subservient females. Mrs. Mallard is the main character in "The Story of an Hour" and Mrs. Loisel is the protagonist in "The Necklace." The type of tone, the writers chose for the main characters were: discontent women, who yearned for a better life than their current one. Being in an unequal marriage, where her spouse controlled her was...