Many of Kate Chopin's short stories deal with the
experiences of women in a culture dominated by men. So it is with this story. A young
woman, Nattie, is intent on making a match for herself with a rather "insignificant and
unattractive" but extremely rich young man named Brantain. She is sitting with him in
the parlour when an attractive, brash young man named Mr. Harvy comes in and kisses her
square on the lips. She is embarassed and explains to Brantain that he is an old family
friend, a pal of her brother's, and that he really means nothing to her. He just thinks
he is one of the family.
Nattie marries Brantain but at her
wedding, Harvy comes over to her and tells her that Brantain has sent him over to kiss
her for her wedding day. He smiles and tells Nattie he has given up kissing women
because it is dangerous, and as the story ends, it indicates that Nattie is sorry to not
have received the kiss, because she obviously was "anticipating" it. But, she concludes,
she still has her millions.
Perhaps Nattie was planning to
be one of those women who could have her cake and eat it too -- be the wife of a rich
man but the lover of a poor man, whom she loved.
The story
is a comment on the types of marriages that were often common among the wealthy
aristocrats that people Kate Chopin's stories. People of class often must marry for
social position, for money, not love. When Nattie concludes, with resignation, that
sometimes "you can't have everything" this indicates that she has accepted her choice -
money over love.
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