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A Respectable Woman : Class 12 English Guide with Question Answers

Get English A respectable woman comprehensive notes, detailed Q&As, and past question papers solutions and video tutorials.

Summary of A Respectable Woman

When Mrs. Baroda hears that her husband's friend, Gouvernail, will be staying at their plantation for a week or two, she feels a bit upset. They had been busy all winter, and she was hoping to relax and spend some quality time with her husband, Gaston.

Though Mrs. Baroda knows that Gouvernail and her husband were friends in college and that he is now a successful journalist, she has never met him. She imagines him to be tall, slender, and cynical, and she doesn't like this image.

However, when she finally meets Gouvernail, who is slim but neither tall nor cynical, she finds herself liking him.

Mrs. Baroda is puzzled by her feelings for Gouvernail, as he doesn't try to impress her in any way. She doesn't see the good qualities Gaston mentioned. Gouvernail enjoys sitting in the field, listening to Gaston talk about the sugar plantation. He doesn't seem very smart but is calm and polite.

Despite finding him a bit confusing, Mrs. Baroda thinks Gouvernail is charming and inoffensive. He turns out to be much better than she had expected. Initially, she leaves him alone with her husband, but she soon joins him on walks, trying to break through his solitary nature. Gouvernail acts simply and doesn't pay much attention to her. Mrs. Baroda notices various flaws in him.

When her husband tells her that Gouvernail will stay for another week and asks why she doesn't want him to stay longer, Mrs. Baroda is surprised by Gaston's question, expecting Gouvernail to be more interesting. Gaston finds her response amusing.

That night, Mrs. Baroda sits alone on a bench, feeling confused and wanting to leave the plantation for a while. She tells her husband she plans to go to the city the next morning to stay with her aunt.

Meanwhile, Gouvernail joins her on the bench and gives her a scarf on Gaston's behalf. He starts talking about the night, the past, and his love for a quiet life. For the first time, Mrs. Baroda listens to him talk. She is more drawn to the sound of his voice than his words. She has an urge to reach out and touch his face or lips, even kiss his cheek and say something sweet, but she controls herself. Her self-respect as a respectable woman and housewife stops her from making this mistake. She gets up and walks away.

Mrs. Baroda wants to tell Gaston about her strange experience but realizes she must handle her feelings on her own.

The next morning, she goes to the city and doesn't return until Gouvernail has left. Despite Gaston's efforts, Gouvernail refuses to come back the next summer. In the end, Mrs. Baroda changes her mind and, to her husband's delight, tells him that Gouvernail didn't deserve her initial dislike. She says she will now treat him with more hospitality.

The story ends here, leaving us unsure whether Mrs. Baroda will follow her emotions or overcome them. Kate Chopin challenges us to consider whether being respectable means following society's rules or living a life without regrets.

About the Author:

Name: Kate Chopin (original name Katherine O’Flaherty)
Birth-Death: 1851-1904
Background: American novelist and short-story writer born in St. Louis, lived in New Orleans after marrying Oscar Chopin.
Notable Works: "At Fault" (1890), "The Awakening" (1899), "Desiree's Baby," "Madame Celestin’s Divorce," and "A Respectable Woman."
Writing Style: Known for sexual connotations in her language. "The Awakening" was condemned for its sexual frankness but was later reinterpreted and praised for its modern sensibility.
Story Source: "A Respectable Woman" is from her collection "The Awakening and Other Short Stories" (2005).