30 pages 1 hour read

Kate Chopin

At the ’Cadian Ball

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1892

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Essay Topics

1.

In what ways are Alcée and Bobinôt similar and in what ways are they different? How do literary foils function in the story?

2.

How does the cyclone influence the outcome of the story? Identify and analyze other natural elements (e.g., the farmers’ crops, the weeds, and grasses tangled in Calixta’s dress) and discuss the significance of these natural elements and what they symbolize.

3.

Provide examples of local color from “At the ’Cadian Ball’ and discuss how this writing style enables Chopin to analyze and critique the social structures of the Acadiana region of Louisiana.