I can't even begin to fathom how much I have fallen behind in my reading. I usually do my reading while commuting home from work, but I haven't been able to do that recently, for multiple reasons. So, at my workplace, we have this reading club thing, where the Corporate service team, picks a book for a particular department to read and review. I didn't read the book recommended for this period, but I was privileged to listen and enjoy it and it rekindled the joy of books in me again. Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?: Inside IBM's Historic Turn around - by Lou Gerstner.A great piece. Today, I finally decided to read a short story and review it, and I did enjoy this one, somewhat, lol.
- Author - Kate Chopin
- Title -A Respectable Woman
- Originally Published - 1894
- Genre - Fiction, Short Stories
PLOT
The author narrates the story of a married woman, whose husband informs that his friend from long-time college will be visiting. The woman does not know how this friend of his husband looks, so she makes a mental picture in her head and assumes him to be a talker. At the arrival of the man, he is the exact opposite of everything she had envisaged. She soon starts to have a disliking towards him, as he isn't a talker, doesn't make any commotion, and stays quiet most of the time. One time, he had walked over to her while sitting on a bench and handed her a scarf from her husband, and lo and behold, he started talking at length. So well did he talk that the woman started to grow fond of him and was tempted to touch his face. The series of events that unfolds is a bit of an interesting one.
SETTING
There was no notable location mentioned in the story. The couple stayed in a plantation.
CHARACTER(S)
- Gaston - The husband
- Gouvernail - The friend to the husband
- Mrs Baroda - The wife
PURPOSE
Hard to put a finger on the purpose of this classic, but one could say it drives home the need to hold oneself fully accountable and to a high moral standard no matter what.
I was reading about this story when it turned out that there were critics of it. It's hard to lay a finger on why there are any. It is a well-told story, that truly portrays women in a good light. The simple diction and simple but effective storytelling style are quite a delight. The ending was quite ambiguous and it looks like a two-way street. Not to worry, I won't give away anything. There isn't much to say about this one. It is a decent read. I would rate it a 2 out of 5. I will recommend it just for a leisure read.