The Relationship that Exists Between Kate Chopin’s At The Cadian Ball and The Storm
The Storm appears to be a continuation of Kate Chopin’s At T he Cadian Ball . Both stories have the same main characters: Bobinot, Calixta, Alcee, and Clarisse. Alcee and Calixta hang out at Assumption, where the ball takes place. They flirt around until Clarisse comes and takes Alcee with him leaving Claxita on her own at the balcony. Then Bobinot finds her and later proposes to her on their way home, and she accepts. On the other hand, Clarisse accepts Alcee’s proposal, which she had earlier rejected.
The Storm explains what happens after these two couples marry and what comes from their rushed decisions to marry each other. The two ladies accept their partner’s proposals out of fear of losing them and jealousy of the other opponent. The main themes in The Storm are sex and broken marriages. The name The Storm symbolizes some of the characters’ lives, and Calixta and Alcee end up marrying other people. Therefore, the two storybooks are related in the sense that one is the continuation of the other.
The Idea of Social Status in At The Cadian Ball
The question of social class dictates the events in which the characters can partake. Clarisse does not go to the Cadian Ball, and she gets upset when Alcee does. Both Alcee and Clarisse are Creoles as they belong to the Spanish and French people who had settled in Louisiana. In many of Kate Chopin’s stories, Creoles are wealthy, most of them owning a wide range of land and trade merchants. Bobino and Calixta are Acadian descendants of the Americans exiled French from Acadia. They are said to have been chased out of their homes by British colonizers during their reign in 1775. In most of her stories, the Acadians are relatively poor compared to the Creoles. They are primarily fishers and farmers living off the land and working as servants for the Creoles. Clarisse being a Creole means that she is of a higher social status, and that is why she does not go to the ball and wonders why Alcee does.
How At The Cadian Ball Revolves Around Love and Attraction
The author attempts to differentiate and separate the two concepts: love, attraction, and lust. This short story portrays attraction in the form of flirtation. At Assumption, where the Cadian ball is taking place, on finding Calixta, Alcee takes her with him to a more private area where they go on flirting until Clarisse comes and goes with Alcee. Additionally, Kate Chopin depicts love through devotion and loyalty. At the ball, Bobinot looks for Calixta, and on finding her all alone on the balcony, he offers to take her home. Bobinot’s feelings and actions towards Calixta show love. Even though she does not pay any attention to him, Bobinot remains irrationally enthusiastic and takes pleasure in any recognition and acknowledgment Calixta gives him. Ultimately, the author captures the issue of love and attraction through enthusiasm and flirtation that different characters portray.
How the Author Uses This Short Story to Highlight Issues Related to Feminism and Impropriety
This story is set in 1892 at the end of the Victorian era, where people were expected to be highly mannered. Most people of higher social standing, especially women, were allowed to be a little improper in manners but polite. However, Calixta is none of these, as she is carefree and, on occasions, rather rude. Like most of Kate Chopin’s writings in the early 20th century, At The Cadian Ball is a work of feminism with Calixta as an icon of daring women at the time who went against the social order and standards set. She is outgoing and refuses to abide by the societal rules forced by men, and at the same time, she fits and is accepted by society. Thus, a critical evaluation of this story reveals the elements of feminism and impropriety.
At The Cadian Ball Shows Evidence of Racial Discrimination
The story is set when there were social classes, and one’s lineage and ancestry determined the ranking of these classes. Bruce is a Creole servant and is often discriminated against throughout the story, mainly because he is African American. As a result, it is ranked at the bottom of Louisiana’s economic and social staircase. Like Bruce, African Americans served as servants to the rich after the war. Therefore, there’s sufficient evidence to prove that this story tried to highlight the issue of racial discrimination in society.
Can the At The Cadian Ball Be Considered a New Woman’s Story?
The Cadian Ball reflects the 19th-century cultural values of the Acadian and Creole societies. But then, it was a male-dominated society where the woman’s voice was not significant. In this society, women were limited and, to some extent, prohibited from expressing their sexual needs. Instead, they were supposed to stick to the social conventions of the time, which demanded them to adhere to traditional roles. Kate Chopin’s story is simply the longing for female freedom from slavery, subjection, and imposed dependence in a male-dominated society. Unfortunately, none of the female characters achieve this freedom despite their struggle to get it.