The Effects of Symbolism in Kate Chopin’s Writings Essay

Critics know Kate Chopin for her regionalist short stories and her often-radical depiction of sexuality in her work. She was able to write very radically and without any qualms because of the influence of her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. All three were widows and independent women, which caused Katherine O’Flaherty, born in 1851, to grow up as a smart and strong woman. Most of the women she wrote about in her stories also shared these characteristics. After she graduated at seventeen, she spent the next two years as the â€Å"belle of St. Louis society†. Katherine O’Flaherty married Oscar Chopin in 1870 and â€Å"for the next decade, [Kate] Chopin pursued the demanding social and domestic schedule of a southern aristocrat, her†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"At the ‘Cadian Ball,† the prequel to â€Å"The Storm,† is the story of how the couples in â€Å"The Storm† decided on their fates. The story opens with Bobinà ´ t, a poor farmer, thinking of the ‘Cadian ball. He decides that he does not want to go, but he will because he knows that Calixta will be going, and so will Alcà ©e. Calixta is a beautiful woman of Spanish ancestry and she will be the belle of the ball. Alcà ©e is a wealthy aristocrat, and Bobinà ´t is afraid that if he does not go and prevent Alcà ©e from sweeping Calixta off her feet, he will succeed and take Calixta away from Bobinà ´t. Meanwhile, Alcà ©e is at his plantation where his crops for the year have all died. Although his peers had expected him to feel like a failure, Alcà ©e is unusually quiet and his pseudo-girlfriend Clarisse is worried. One night he rides away unexpectedly, headed for the ‘Cadian ball. Clarisse finds this out from a slave and sets off to follow him there. At the ball, Calixta and Alcà ©e steal away to a quiet corner and start to cuddle and kiss when Clarisse interrupts them, claiming that there is trouble at home. Alcà ©e goes w ith her, leaving Calixta by herself until Bobinà ´t shows up and walks her home. On their walk home, Calixta tells Bobinà ´t that she will accept his marriage offer if he asks her, which causes Bobinà ´t toShow MoreRelatedEssay about Symbolism of â€Å"The Storm1512 Words   |  7 PagesKate Chopin wrote the short story â€Å"The Storm† one of her most bold stories and did not even intention to publish it (Cutter 191). The two main characters in the story are Calixta and Alcee. They both used to be attracted to one another in previous years, but now they are both married to someone else. After Alcee arrives to Calixta’s house looking for shelter they are driven into a passionate moment. In the story â€Å"The Storm† the storm has a significant meaning; without it the affair of Calixta andRead MoreEssay about The Awakening1491 Words   |  6 PagesAwakening nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The novel, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, was written in the late nineteenth century in St. Louis after her husband Oscar died of a severe illness. Her book appeared in 1899, after she was idolized by many novels written by Darwin and Sarah Orne Jewett. Her first attempts at writing were just brief sketches for a local newspaper that was only short descriptions of her life in Louisiana. 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Chopin’s story, as displayed in its title is quite short; while in comparison, de Maupassant tells a much more detailed account of the beleaguered Loisel’s, who must learn from the self-centred Madam Loisel. With de Maupassant’sRead MoreChopin VS Thurber and Relationships2545 Words   |  11 PagesIn the stories â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† by James Thurber (Clugston, sec. h1.1) and â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin (Clugston, sec. h2.1) escapism is a similar theme with in both these stories, yet there is a slight variance in how each of these authors place these characters into their escape from reality, relationships, and everyday chaos. In each of these stories the author shows the characters escaping the realities of the relationship, one through Walter Mitts’ daydreams, and th eRead MoreThe Story of an Hour and a Rose for Emily Essay2219 Words   |  9 PagesCompare Contrast The Story of an Hour and A Rose for Emily Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour and William Faulkners A Rosefor Emily both characterize the nature of marriage and womanhood bydelving into the psyches of their female protagonists. Also, althoughChopin makes no clear reference to geographic locale in The Story of anHour, both authors usually set their stories in the American South, whichimpacts these characterizations. These two tales share many other points ofreference in common