A Respectable Woman by Kate Chopin Summary

 

About this Story

·      Took place during the 1880s or early 1890s.  ·      Setting: The story takes place on Mr. Gaston Baroda’s sugar plantation in Louisiana ·      Themes: a married woman's identity, woman's self-esteem as a wife and identity and desire vs control ·      Moral Lesson: One moral lesson that can be shown from the story is the importance of self-control and self-awareness. It highlights the idea that individuals should be aware of their own desires and have to control their actions, especially when those desires conflict with social norms and personal values. ·      Main Characters: 1.  Gaston Baroda: Mrs. Baroda’s husband 2.  Mrs. Baroda: protagonist of the story and wife of Gaston Baroda 3.  Gouvernail: journalist, a college friend of Mrs. Baroda’s husband.

 

 

Summary

This story is written by Kate Chopin who is an American novelist and short-story writer. The language in her novels and short stories is full of sexual connotations. This story is taken from her collection The Awakening and Other Short Stories (2005). This story moves around the character of Mrs. Baroda and her inner conflict. She finds herself attracted to her husband's friend Gouvernail. The story shows that human emotions and desires are complex and can sometimes be in conflict with social expectations. It raises questions about the nature of desire and the roles society provides to individuals. Mrs. Baroda's internal struggle shows the idea that people may have feelings that are not easily controlled and dealing with these emotions can be challenging.

Mrs. Baroda is annoyed when her husband's friend Gouvernail comes to stay on their plantation. She was hoping for a quiet time alone with her husband but learns about Gouvernail's visit. She had imagined Gouvernail to be different from what he actually was. He wasn't tall or cynical (negative view in this context) and didn't wear eyeglasses. However, she starts to like him after meeting him.

Gouvernail seems happy to relax on the plantation's porch (covered structure, often attached to the front or back of a building) and listen to her husband's stories. Mrs. Baroda wants to understand him better and spends time with him. She tries to find out his true personality. Eventually, she admits to her husband that she likes Gouvernail and invites him to visit again.

However, Mrs. Baroda's feelings towards Gouvernail become complicated. She feels an unusual attraction to him, which confuses her. One night, they sit together under a tree, and she wishes to get closer to him. But she resists these feelings, knowing they are improper. The next morning, she leaves for the city, and when she returns, Gouvernail is gone. Despite her earlier reluctance, Mrs. Baroda suggests inviting Gouvernail to visit again, surprising her husband. She promises to be nicer to him this time.

Thus the story shows how Mrs. Baroda's feelings change and the internal struggle she faces between her emotions and her sense of socially accepted behavior.

5.  Short Question Answer

a.  Why was Mrs. Baroda unhappy with the information about Gouvernail’s visit to their farm?

Ans: Mrs. Baroda wasn't happy with the news of Gouvernail's visit to their farm since she needed to rest after working all day in the winter.

b. How was Gouvernail different from Mrs. Baroda’s expectation?

Ans: Mrs. Baroda had imagined Gouvernail as tall, thin, distrustful, with spectacles and his hands in his pockets, but he was not what she had imagined. He wasn't particularly tall or cynical, and he didn't wear spectacles or keep his hands in his pockets.

c.   How does Mrs. Baroda compare Gouvernail with her husband?

Ans:  Mrs. Baroda describes her husband as outgoing, honest, and friendly, whereas Gouvernail is quiet. Her partner appears to be a man of words, while Gouvernail appears to be more reserved. Gouvernail, unlike her spouse, lacks brilliancy and good characteristics. Gouvernail appears to be much more basic and gracious than her husband's straightforward hospitality. Gouvernail does not appear to enjoy fishing or hunting, although her partner does.

d. Why and how did Mrs. Baroda try to change Gouvernail’s solitary habits?

Ans: Mrs. Baroda felt irritated when she saw her visitor was disinterested. She didn't even get a reaction from him when she was harsh enough to leave him alone with her partner at first. She tried to adjust Gouvernail's isolated behaviours in order to make him more demanding and fascinating. As a result, she began following him on his leisurely walks up to the mills and along the batture (an alluvial tract near a riverbed, particularly in low land places).

e.   How does Gaston disagree with his wife on Gouvernail’s character?

Ans: Mrs. Baroda is terrified by Mr. Gouvernail. He stays quiet, lonely, and only speaks a little. He is unfamiliar to her, so he requests that he leave the house. However, Gaston disagrees with his wife's assessment of Gouvernail. He's not problematic. He is a really nice and respectable individual with remarkable and dazzling qualities. Mr. Gouvernail's current behaviours are the result of work stress.

f.    Why is Gaston surprised with his wife’s expression towards the end of the story?

Ans: Mrs. Baroda's comments on Mr. Gouvernail shock Mr. Gaston at the end of the narrative. Mrs. Baroda had already left the house due to Mr. Gouvernail's actions. She didn't return home until he was gone. When Mr. Gaston suggested inviting him back in the summer, she, too, expressed her displeasure. However, at the end of the year, Mrs. Baroda voiced her desire to contact Mr. Gouvernail once again. Mr. Gaston was shocked and pleased by his wife's idea. She stated that she had conquered her dislike for Mr. Gouvernail and committed to be extremely pleasant to him. This is why Gaston is astonished by his wife's at the end of the story.

6. Long Question Answer

a. What is the cause of conflict in Mrs. Baroda’s mind? What role does Mrs. Baroda ‘being a respectable woman’ play in the story?

Ans:  The conflict in Mrs. Baroda's mind comes from her feelings of attraction and curiosity towards Gouvernail, a guest visiting her home. She's married to Gaston and is supposed to be a "respectable woman," which means she must follow society's rules and expectations for a proper wife. However, her feelings for Gouvernail make her question these rules. She's torn between her duty as a wife and her personal desires. Her struggle to balance her emotions and her role as a "respectable woman" creates the main conflict in the story. It explores how societal norms can clash with individual feelings and desires.

b. Sketch the character of Gouvernail and contrast it with Gaston.

Ans: Gouvernail is another significant individual and the source of Mrs. Baroda's dilemma. In the narrative, he is also introduced to test Mrs. Baroda's chastity. His character is shown from two perspectives. He is now a journalist and wishes to spend some time alone due to the pressures of his job. Mr. Gaston believes he possesses remarkable and promising qualities. Mrs. Baroda, on the other hand, believes he lacks all of these characteristics. He is an introvert who is hiding himself in his restricted personality. He doesn't say anything and doesn't seem to notice Mrs. Baroda's performance. He is not as engaging, social, open, or amusing as Mr. Gaston.

c. Why does Mrs. Baroda not disclose her feelings towards Gouvernail to her husband?

Ans:  Some fights in life must be fought alone by a human being. Mrs. Baroda was a respected woman, and if she tells her husband about her affections for Gouvernail, it may lead to a serious situation. A husband does not appreciate his wife's attraction to another man. Many men have divorced their partners after discovering that they had feelings for another guy. Furthermore, if she expresses her emotions, Mr. Baroda and Gouvernail's friendship may suffer. That is why Mrs. Baroda keeps her affections for Gouvernail hidden from her husband.

d. The last three sentences of the story bring a kind of twist. After reading these three sentences, how do you analyze Mrs. Baroda’s attitude towards Gouvernail?

Ans: Mrs. Baroda is a strong lady who hinders sensuous attraction to a guy while being faithful to her husband. She is determined to keep her image as a respectable woman in society by rejecting her intense feelings for Mr. Gouvernail. Except for their wives, married people are attracted to their opposite sexes. Our emotions and desires might occasionally mislead us, but we must control such extramarital encounters. Mrs. Baroda has done the same. When she sees Mrs. Gouvernail alone at night, she gets attracted by him and wants to touch and kiss him. Even though it is believed that everything is fair in love and battle, she believes it is not. Her inner morality keeps her from becoming immoral in the eyes of society, and her husband just serves to fulfil her want for love. She leaves her chance to hug and kiss Gouvernail by departing from him. Even she does not return home till he has left. She doesn't want to see him again until she overcomes her desire to Gouvernail. She hopes to invite him again after she has completely mastered her longing (desire). The last three words provide a twist, as she gives up her attraction on Mr. Gouvernail and claims her wish to be pleasant to him rather than falling in love with him.

e. The entry of an outsider into a family has been a recurring subject in both literature and films. Narrate a story real or imaginative where an outsider’s arrival destroys the intimate relationship between the husband and the wife and causes break up in marital relationship without direct fault of anyone. Anton’s Chekhov’s story ‘About Love’ is a story on this subject.

Ans: Once upon a time, there was a family – Mr. and Mrs. Smith. They were happily married and loved each other a lot. They did everything together, from cooking to gardening. Their home was filled with laughter and warmth.

One day, a man named Mr. Brown came to stay with them. He was a friend of Mr. Smith from their school days. At first, everyone was excited about his visit. They thought it would be fun to have an old friend around.

But as days went by, things started to change. Mr. Brown was very charming and kind, and Mrs. Smith found herself enjoying his company. They talked for hours and went on walks together. Mr. Smith started feeling left out.

Soon, Mrs. Smith and Mr. Brown were spending more time together, and Mr. Smith felt lonely. He didn't want to admit it, but he was jealous of their friendship. Mrs. Smith didn't realize how her closeness to Mr. Brown was affecting her husband.

Slowly, Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith grew distant. They stopped doing things together like they used to. Their home, once full of joy, now felt empty and quiet. Mr. Smith tried to talk to his wife about his feelings, but she didn't understand why he was upset.

Eventually, the tension between Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith became too much. They started arguing over small things, and their arguments turned into big fights. They felt like strangers living in the same house.

One day, Mr. Brown noticed the rift between the couple. He realized that his presence had caused trouble in their marriage. He felt guilty and decided to leave. He thought it would help Mr. and Mrs. Smith to find their happiness again.

After Mr. Brown left, Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith had a long talk. They realized that they had let an outsider come between them. They missed their old life and decided to work on rebuilding their relationship.

It wasn't easy, but with time, effort, and lots of communication, Mr. and Mrs. Smith were able to mend their bond. They learned that their love was strong enough to overcome any challenges, even the arrival of an outsider.

In the end, they became even closer than before. The experience made them realize the importance of their relationship and the need to protect it from anything that could come between them. And so, their love story continued, stronger than ever.

f. Mrs. Baroda makes an expectation about Gouvernail even before meeting him. Suppose you are a mature girl/boy and your family members are giving you pressure for getting married. Write in about 200 words describing what qualities you would like to get in your future husband/wife.

Ans: In the story "A Respectable Woman," Mrs. Baroda has certain expectations about Gouvernail before meeting him. Just like her, I, as a mature person, might have some qualities in mind for my future husband or wife.

I believe my future partner should be kind and understanding. S/he should respect my opinions and listen to what I have to say. It's important that we support and encourage each other's dreams and goals. I'd want someone who makes me laugh and shares my interests, so we can enjoy spending time together.

Trust is a big deal to me. I'd like my partner to be honest and trustworthy, so we can have an open and strong relationship. Communication is key too. We should be able to talk about anything and solve problems together.

Being responsible and caring is something I value. I'd want a partner who takes care of our family and shows love to them. Mutual respect is essential, where we treat each other as equals.

Of course, looks matter less to me than how we connect emotionally and mentally. A good sense of humor, kindness, understanding, and a strong bond of love are the qualities I hope for in my future husband or wife, just like Mrs. Baroda had her own expectations about Gouvernail.