Regret

In her story “Regret,” Chopin writes in the vein of realism, conveying fictional material that may only be apprehended through the senses. What are the challenges for conveying a story in which there are no analyses of character motives and traits? What are the strengths of realism? What are its limitations?

Indirection is a method of revealing a character’s traits without explicitly stating them. One application of indirection is showing how other characters respond to a character. In “Regret,” the narrator reveals how the children respond to Mamzelle Aurélie and her inadequacies at bedtime. This response is in the form of questions. Take one of these questions and flesh it out in a short scene. In writing your scene, don’t follow the strict realism employed by Chopin. Instead, include your characters’ thoughts.

After the exchange with Aunt Ruby, there is a paragraph describing Mamzelle Aurélie’s impressions of Ruby’s knowledge of raising children. What is Mamzelle Aurélie’s attitude regarding her cook and her mothering experience? Do you think Mamzelle Aurélie gains a new appreciation for her employee?

In examining the use of colloquialism, rewrite Odile’s words as well as Aunt Ruby’s words in standard English, correcting the respellings as well as the words that use apostrophes as substitutes for consonants or letters. Using footnotes, provide translations of the French phrases. Next, listen to a few minutes of a broadcast, podcast, or stand-up comedian and write down what you hear. Try misspelling words and adding apostrophes for missing consonants in order to convey speech that is as close as you can to that of the speaker. Don’t forget to insert any slang that they use. What are the benefits of relaying speech exactly as it sounds? What are the drawbacks?

Although there isn’t information about why Mamzelle Aurélie turned down a marriage proposal and why she hasn’t regretted it, why do you think she turned down a marriage proposal? Use the text as well as your imagination to support your thoughts.

Speaking as Mamzelle Aurélie, write a diary entry in which you, Mamzelle Aurélie, write out your feelings in the wake of the children leaving. Now pretend you stand on the porch to shout what you want everyone to know and hear. What would Mamzelle Aurélie want to shout, if only for the chickens? Write it down.

Do you believe Chopin is taking issue with the institution of marriage and motherhood in this story? Why or why not? Are the practices of motherhood portrayed in the story as separate from the institution? In society, what are some mothering practices that are not necessarily tied to being a mother?

Situating stories in their historical context is an important part of understanding them. Chopin often pushed back against dominant narratives of her time about women and how they “should” feel and behave. How does this story change if interpreted in a contemporary Western context? In Victorian times, spinsters were not always respected or seen as complete people. Can you think of equivalent attitudes today?