A Respectable
Woman
By Kate Chopin
Summary:
Mrs Baroda finds that Gouvernail,
her husband’s friend, is staying with them on their plantation. She is
dissatisfied by this because they had been having a lot of fun and she had
hoped for a break. She’d never met the man but had heard a lot of good things
about him. Upon seeing him, she develops a fancy for him right away. However,
she notices that he has a mystery about him that she can’t describe andthat she attempts to solve regularly. She assures her husband
that she would be better once the man has left because he is different from
other visits, which puzzles her. She makes the decision to depart till he has
left.
She sits on a bench outside that
night, pondering why he makes her feel so uncomfortable. Gouvernail runs into
her late at night and tells her that her husband gave him a scarf to gift her
while she’s gone. The two sat in silence after exchanging a few words. He
starts talking, but she doesn’t pay attention because her body is drawn to him.
She wants to hug him, but her reputation as “a respectable woman” prevents her
from doing so. She begins to pull away from him as a result of this sensation.
She eventually departs and returns home, debating whether or not to notify her
husband. She also refuses and retires to her bed. She has left before the
others have even gotten out of bed the next morning.
She returns after Gouvernail has
left and initially objects to his reappearance. However, she champions his
visit within a year, much to her husband’s surprise. She simply states that she
has overcome all obstacles and will treat him with respect.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
a. Why was Mrs. Baroda unhappy with the information about
Gouvernail’s visit to their farm?
➜ Mrs. Baroda was unhappy with
the information about Gouvernail’s visit to their farm because he was a man
she'd heard a lot about but had never met. She was unhappy also because she had
planned a period of rest and conversation with her husband, Gaston Baroda from
their busy life throughout all winter.
b. How was Gouvernail different from Mrs. Baroda’s expectation?
➜ Gouvernail was different from Mrs. Baroda’s expectation as Mrs.. Baroda initially thought Gouvernail was
confusing and boring, and that he was not the witty man that her husband had
told her about. She imagined him to be tall, thin, and cynical, wearing
eyeglasses and holding his hands in his pockets, and she disliked him. But one
night on her plantation, she had a chat with him that transformed her dislike
for him into a wish for connection with him.
c. How does Mrs. Baroda compare Gouvernail with her husband?
➜ Mrs. Baroda finds Gouvernail attractive, but she
does not perceive the same traits in him as her husband. She couldn't find any
of the brilliant and promising qualities that Gaston, her husband, had often
informed her he possessed in him.
Despite his courtesy, Mrs. Baroda considers him unsociable in comparison to her
husband because he does not appear to be paying attention to her.
d. Why and how did Mrs. Baroda try to change Gouvernail’s solitary habits?
➜ Mrs. Baroda tried to change Gouvernail's solitary
habits because she didn't expect a commotion over his presence and he was no
more interested in facts. She expected him to be more interesting.
She attempted to change her solitary habits by assuring him to be more
talkative and adaptable to the situation.
e. How does Gaston disagree with his wife on Gouvernail’s character?
➜ Gaston disagrees with his wife's on Gouvernail's
character as a less interesting and shy figure, indicating rather that he is a
remarkable, friendly, interesting, and talkative figure.
f. Why is Gaston surprised with his wife’s expression towards the end of the
story?
➜ Gaston is surprised with his wife’s expression towards the end of the story because she proposes
by herself to have Gouvernail visit them again before the year ended which he
has not ever expected from her side.
Reference to the context
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?
➜ Mrs. Baroda's attraction to her husband's friend is
the main cause of conflict in Mrs. Baroda’s
mind.
Mrs. Baroda appears to be bound by society's perception of what makes a
respectable woman. Mrs. Baroda seems to be attracted to Gouvernail, but she
controls her urge to touch his face since she believes she is a respectable
woman and is probably afraid of what society might think of her.
b. Sketch the character of Gouvernail and contrast it with Gaston.
➜ From the short story "A Respectable
Woman", we can find that Gouvernail in the present is a journalist. He is
not as social as his friend Gaston since he does not appear to pay enough
attention to the people around him.
Gaston is the story's only supporting character. He highly appreciates his
friend Gouvernail, describing him as "intelligent" and a "man of
ideas" to his wife. Gaston also appears to love his wife, addressing her
as "ma belle" or "chère amie."
c. Why does Mrs. Baroda not disclose her feelings towards Gouvernail to her
husband?
➜ Mrs. Baroda does not disclose her feelings towards
Gouvernail to her husband because she appears to be restricted to society’s
opinion. Mrs. Baroda is well aware that society would view her action as
inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour for a married woman.
Her beliefs about what makes a woman respectable in society take priority over
her feelings and desires. Her fear of what society might think of her and her
perception that she is a respectable woman prevented Mrs. Baroda from telling
her husband about her emotions for Gouvernail.
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?
➜ The last three sentences of the story bring a kind
of twist in the story "A Respectable Woman". The story has presented
a sudden change in Mrs. Barods's inner characterization and way of thinking in
the last three sentences.
Mrs. Baroda has not only changed her mind about Gouvernail but she may also no
longer be bound by society's view of what makes a respectable woman. Mrs.
Baroda has achieved freedom outside of the boundaries of society. We can assume
that Mrs. Baroda has not only overcome her own and society's perceptions of
what a respectable woman is, but she is also ready to pursue a relationship
with Gouvernail by telling Gaston, "I shall be very nice to him (Gouvernail)."
Reference beyond the text
a. 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.
➜ Anton Chekhov's story "About Love" is an
interesting story where the arrival of Alyohin in Mr Luganovich family
destroys the intimate relationship between the husband and the wife and it
causes terrible troubles and mental stress to his wife Anna Luganovich. Mr
Luganovich and Anna are husband-wife living together in the city. Though there
is a wide gap of age differences between the husband and the wife, they are
living happily. In fact, Anna is a young lady of about twenty-two. She is
married to a judge, a man of over forty. She is a young woman, beautiful, kind,
intelligent and fascinating. Her gaze, her beautiful and delicate hands, her
way of walking, her voice, and her hairstyle are all impressive to anybody. As
the story opens, she has a six month's baby and later she has another baby. She
has been living with her husband in peace and harmony. But the arrival of
another man in her life damages her life entirely. Ultimately, she has a
neurotic problem and she has to leave Alyohin. The same thing happens in the
story "A Respectable Woman" with the arrival of Gouvernail in
Baroda's family. In the former story, Anna leaves the city for Crimea to feel
relaxed and refreshed and here in this story, Mrs. Baroda leaves the plantation
for her Aunt Octavie's so that she can get relaxed and refreshed from her
mental stress.
b. 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.
➜ Marriage is a lifetime decision. That's why one
should never rush to this stage until he/she is fully sure about life partner.
Otherwise, it may be the folly of a lifetime. It is a serious matter of life.
One should put a lot of thought into intellect before deciding to marry
someone. It is not as same as judging a book by its cover as there are many
pages, paragraphs, sentences, and words in it. I hope to see the following
qualities in my future wife/husband:
- He/She
has good manners to show his affection and care.
- He/She
admits his shortcomings and accepts my follies (Good Listener)
- He/Sheen
joys my company and understands and respects my decision, too.
- He/She
knows my likes and dislikes, my birthday, and remembers to give me little
gifts and surprises on different occasions.
- He/She
is sweet and has a good sense of humor.
- He/She
never places restrictions on me or the relationship.
- He/She
respects my family and friends and truly loves me.
- He/She
can balance his work and family and face challenges.
- He/She
is independent both financially and emotionally.
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