A Respectable Woman

- Kate Chopin

Main Characters of the Story

Mrs. Baroda: Protagonist of the story, wife of Gaston Baroda, likes Gouvernail

Gouvernail: Journalist, a college friend of Mrs. Baroda's husband

Gaston Baroda: Mrs. Baroda's husband, College mate of Gouvernail, has sugar plantation

Setting: Baroda’s Sugar plantation in the winter

About the author

Kate Chopin was an American novelist and short story writer. She was born and brought up in St. Louis and lived in New Orleans after getting married to Oscar Chopin. She wrote more than hundred short stories and among them ‘Disiree’s Baby’, ‘Madame Celestin’s Divorce’ and ‘A Respectable Woman’ are the most popular ones. The language which she used in her stories and novels are full of sexual connotations.  The short story revolves around the character of Mrs. Baroda and her inner conflict as she finds herself attracted to her husband's friend Gouvernail. The conflict follows the pattern of classical fiction and moves from exposition to rising action and then to climax and resolution

Summary:

The story ‘A Respectable Woman’ has been written by Kate Chopin, an American novelist and story writer. The main characters are Mrs. Baroda, Gaston Baroda and Gouvernail. This story has the setting of a sugar plantation in Louisiana. The story revolves around the character of Mrs. Baroda and her inner conflict as she finds herself attracted to her husband's friend, Gouvernail.

Mrs. Baroda was unhappy when her husband Gaston informed about Gouvernail’s visit to their plantation for a week or more. She was upset because she had planned to take a rest and have a private talk after their busy winter and mild separation. She hadn't met Gouvernail before and only heard about him through her husband that they were friends in college and that he was a successful journalist in town. Before Gouvernail’s arrival, Mrs. Badora had unconsciously pictured a mental image of him as a ‘tall, slim, cynical; with eye-glasses, and his hands in his pockets.’  She didn’t like him in her imagination.

When he arrived, she was fascinated towards him. She found him more different in various aspects than she had thought. When she met Gouvernail, who was slim but neither tall nor cynical, she discovered that she really became puzzled and liked him. He behaved very simply and didn’t pay much attention to her. Mrs. Baroda found various lack within him. He wasn’t frank.

Mrs Baroda got wondered why she loved Gouvernail since he made no special effort to impress her in any way. She was unsure why she liked Gouvernail because she didn’t see all of his positive characteristics. He didn't appear intelligent, but in reaction to her excitement to welcome him and her husband's hospitality, he appeared quiet and kind. He loved sitting on the field and listening to Gaston explaining sugar plantation methods. Mrs. Baroda found Gouvernail to be a little confusing. She found him to be charming and unoffensive. Unlike what she had heard from her husband Gaston, she found him a bit better than heard.

Mrs Baroda talked with her husband about Gouvernail’s reserved nature. Mrs. Baroda claimed that she expected Gouvernail to be more interesting. Gaston told her that he did not expect disturbance over his visit and that he just wanted a break from his busy life. 

One night, she informed Gaston that she had planned to leave the plantation next morning and go to the city to stay with her aunt. She would return only after Gouvernail’s returning from there. She went out of the room and sat alone on a bench under a big tree. She was puzzled and upset. Later Gouvernail arrived there and sat just on the other side of the bench. He provided her with a scarf on Gaston's behalf. He started talking about the night time, stars, the past days and his liking towards peaceful living. Mrs. Baroda found him talkative for the first time. She didn't listen to his words but felt attracted to his voice's tones. She wanted to reach out her hand towards him and touch his face or lips with her sensitive tips of fingers. She wanted to whisper on his cheek. But she controlled herself. Her self-dignity of being a respectable woman and wife prevented her doing this great mistake. She stood and left the place. 

She went for the city the next morning and did not return until Gouvernail had left.

Next time, when Gaston wished Gouvernail to visit them the following summer, she subsequently (later/ afterward) changed her mind, much to her husband's surprise. By kissing her husband, she told him that she would now treat him with greater hospitality and vowed that she had "overcome everything”.


Understanding the text


Answer the following questions:


a. Why was Mrs. Baroda unhappy with the information about Gouvernail’s visit to their farm?
Answer: Mrs. Baroda was unhappy with the information about Gouvernail's visit to their farm because she had planned to take unbroken rest and converse privately with her husband Mr. Gaston Baroda after their joyous winter as well as mild separation during their stay in New Orleans.

b. How was Gouvernail different from Mrs. Baroda’s expectation? 
Answer: Mrs. Baroda had never met Gouvernail in her life before due to various reasons. She had learned various things about him through her husband. Before meeting him, she pictured him unconsciously as slim, tall, cynical with eyeglasses and hands into his pockets. She didn't like him while picturing him. But, when she met him, she found him different from her expectation. She found him slim, neither tall nor cynical. He was kind and less offensive. At the very first sight, she found herself attracted to him. But Gouvernail's personality puzzled her later on. She found him different from other guests as well as less friendly which made her feel tired. Gouvernail never attempted to impress her nor responded to her acts.

c. How does Mrs. Baroda compare Gouvernail with her husband? 
Answer: Mrs. Baroda compares Gouvernail with her husband in the following manner:
▪︎ Mrs. Baroda finds her husband as a social, frank and friendly guy whereas Gouvernail as a guy of reserved nature.
▪︎Her husband seems a man with words whereas Gouvernail seems less talkative.
She finds a lack of brilliancy and positive traits within Gouvernail than her husband.
Gouvernail seems much simple and courteous than her husband's frank hospitality.
Gouvernail doesn't seem interested in fishing and hunting whereas her husband is.

d. Why and how did Mrs. Baroda try to change Gouvernail’s solitary habits? 
Answer: Mrs. Baroda became quite tired to find her guest uninterested. She didn't eK.ven find any reaction within him when she showed her rude manner of leaving him alone with her husband at first. She tried to change Gouvernail's solitary habits because she wanted him to be more demanding and interesting. For that, she started accompanying him in his idle walks up to the mills and along the batture (an alluvial land by a riverside, especially in low land areas).

e. How does Gaston disagree with his wife on Gouvernail’s character? 
Answer: Gaston disagrees with his wife on Gouvernail's character saying that Gouvernail doesn't expect commotion over his presence. According to him, Gouvernail needs a break from his busy life which is full of works. Against his wife's opinions, he supports Gouvernail's character saying that he has all the positive traits like friendliness, frankness, talkativeness and social nature.

f. Why is Gaston surprised with his wife’s expression towards the end of the story? 
Answer: Gaston is surprised by his wife's expression towards the end of the story because his wife's expression was quite puzzling enough for him to understand. She states that she has overcome everything and she will be nice to him on his next visit. Her strange statement in delighting tone makes Gaston feel surprised.

Reference to the Text

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? 
Answer: The cause of conflict in Mrs. Baroda's mind is her attraction towards her husband's friend Gouvernail. She finds herself attracted to him at very first sight. She is puzzled in her act of liking a person like Gouvernail. Mrs. Baroda 'being a respectable woman' plays a very vital role to control her desires and prevent her from doing immoral acts. Her self dignity of being a respectable woman and wife makes her aware of her social reputation and even the limitations of social norms and values.
b. Sketch the character of Gouvernail and contrast it with Gaston. 
Answer: Gouvernail is one of the major characters of this short story "A Respectable Woman" by Kate Chopin. He has played the role of a visitor who has come to spend his one or two weeks in Mr. Gatson Baroda's sugar plantation in Louisiana. He is a friend of Mr. Gaston during their school time. He is a slim guy with average height. He has visited Barodas' plantation to spend his time and take a rest from his tiresome busy life. He presents himself quite simply and in a courteous manner in response to Baroda's welcome and hospitality. He spends his time on the plantation in a very quite reserved manner. He doesn't pay much attention to Mrs. Baroda. He likes to live a peaceful life without any disturbance. He is not interested in fishing and hunting. Mrs. Baroda doesn't find him interesting. For her, he doesn't seem clever, brilliant or a man of ideas as described by her husband Mr. Gaston earlier. Gouvernail has been accompanied by her to change him. Gouvernail is seen breaking his silence at the end of the story while sitting on a bench just beside her. He remains in Baroda's house as a simple guest and his reserved nature creates a bit of tension between Mr. Gaston and Mrs. Baroda.
On the other hand, Mr. Gatson Baroda seems quite sociable, frank and friendly. He is a quite caring husband. He loves and trusts his wife so much. He addresses his wife Mrs. Baroda using lovely names as 'chereamie' and 'ma belle'. He is a wealthy sugar planter and often has positive thinking. He doesn't feel good to hear his wife disliking opinions about Gouvernail. He tries his best to persuade his wife about Gouvernail.  He is a brilliant man with a hobby of fishing and hunting. He nicely treats his guests and provides them good hospitality. Thus, both Mr. Gaston and Gouvernail are seen quite different in the story.
c. Why does Mrs. Baroda not disclose her feelings towards Gouvernail to her husband? 
Answer: Mrs. Baroda doesn't disclose her feelings towards Gouvernail to her husband because she wants to handle the situation herself by being sensible. She feels much disturbed and puzzled due to Gouvernail's reserved nature. She is troubled by her inner conflict. She wants to reveal her great folly of last night to her husband at first. But later on, she desires to tackle her problem herself. As a respectable woman or a wife, she thinks that being human, some battles of life should be handled alone.
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? 
Answer: Kate Chopin's writings always direct her readers towards brilliant and ambiguous closings. She often created twists in her creations at last. The last three sentences of Mrs. Baroda create a kind of confusion for all the readers. After reading her statements, I think she will treat Gouvernail more nicely the next time but being a respectable woman or a wife. She will surely overcome the folly of her first experience. She will present herself as a perfect host without expecting such desires as before.