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Summary
Characters
1) Nathalie – Brantain’s wife
2) Brantain- Nathalie’s husband
3) Harvy-Nathalie’s beloved
” The Kiss” is a short story written by Kate Chopin. Kate Chopin was an American novelist and short-story writer. She is best known for her startling 1899 novel, The Awakening. The themes of the story are money over love, exploitation, and acceptance. These themes are represented to show that you can’t always have two things and two relationships at once. The story is narrated by the third person, an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realizes how significant the opening line of the story is. In the story, an elderly man, Brantain sits in a shadow in a dim room of a restaurant. He stares at handsome girl, Nathalie. (in the story, a girl, Nathalie is said to be the handsome) She is sitting in front of fire light. The girl also calmly stares toward Brantain. She knows that Brantain loves her. She wants to hear the words “I Love You” from Brantain’s mouth. She has also made the plan that she will certainly accept his purpose. Although Brantain is unattractive, Nathalie loves him. In fact she loves his wealth because he is enormously rich. After some time, a young man, Harvy enters the room and gives kiss on Nathalie’s lips. When Brantain sees that scene, he feels that he is cheated by Nathalie. Then, Brantain stands up and left the restaurant saying “good bye”.
Nathalie shows her anger to Harvy for not knocking on the door. Harvy says sorry and gives reason. He says that he and her brother have come together to search her in the restaurant. Her brother has gone upstairs and he comes there hopping to find her. After this incident, she starts searching Brantain. When she meets him, she requests him not to take Harvy’s kiss in negative way. She makes him trust her. She says that Harvy and her brother are friends, so she has considered Harvy as her own brother, Now Brantain believes her words and they decide to get marry.
At their wedding, Brantain even allows Harvy to kiss his bride, Nathalie because he does not want to interrupt Harvy and Nathalie’s relationship. Harvy goes to visit her and says that Brantain has sent him to kiss her. Knowing about that thing, Nathalie is glad. At this time, Nathalie feels like a chess player who has arranged all pieces successfully so that she is about to win. It means that she has arranged Brantain in one place and her boyfriend in another place. She is happy for handling that situation successfully. Her eyes are bright. Her lips looks hungry for the kiss to him. Accidentally, Harvy changes his mood and does not want to kiss Nathalie. He does not want to come in the middle of Nathalie and Brantain. He says her that he has stopped to kiss any women and kissing women was so dangerous. However, she was happy getting a rich and wealthy husband, Brantain.
The main theme of the story is that a woman cannot possibly expect both passion and wealth in marriage: she must choose one. This story can be taken as a feminist story. In “The Kiss,” Nathalie wants to marry a rich man, but also wants to continue to have an affair with another guy, Harvy for love. This shows feminism because she is actually going to be able to do whatever she wants without having to get her husband’s permission.
Questions
1) What is the connotation of “deep shadows” in the story?
Ans: The connotation (an idea or feeling which a word invokes) of deep shadows is the right and intimate atmosphere to make secrets and illegal affair. Although there was still quite light out of doors, the curtains were drawn and there was dim light of fire inside the room. So, it also refers to favourable and secret atmosphere for them to talk.
2) Why does Brantain not mind sitting in the shadows?
Ans: Brantain does not mind sitting in the shadows because he could talk to the girl freely and make illegal love affair with her. If he sits, in the shadows, Harvy can not see him:
3) What is the relationship between Brantain and Nathalie?
Ans: The relationship between Brantain and Nathalie is unfaithful lover and beloved. Although she has love affair with Harvy, she accepts Brantain’s purpose and gets marriage with him.
4) Why is Nathalie angry with Harvy? Do you think she is over reacting?
Ans: Harvy enters into the room without ringing the bell and kisses on her lips. Brantain is angry after seeing that scene and her plan to trap him in her love is failed during that time. So, Nathalie is angry with Harvy. Yes, she is overacting. Although Harvy is her beloved, she acts as if she doesn’t know him and asks him why he entered without ringing the bell.
5) Nathalie explains to Brantain that she and Harvy are “like brother and sister. Are you convinced by this explanation? Do you think Brantain is convinced?
Ans: No. I am not convinced because there are many proofs not to believe their relation like brother and sister. For example: Harvy enters the room and kisses her in front of Brantain. Can a brother do that? Of course not only lover can do that. To convince Brantain, she says that Harvy is like a brother but I think Brantain is not convinced. If Brantain is convinced, why he sent Harvy to kiss Nathalie at wedding.
6. Explain the sentence: “She felt like a chess player who, by the clever handling of his pieces, sees the game taking the course intended”.
Ans: In the story, Nathalie is like a chess player who has arranged all pieces successfully so that she is about to win. It means that she has arranged Brantain in one place and her boyfriend in another place. She is happy for handling that situation successfully.
7. What type of a woman is Nathalie? Do you suppose she will remain faithful to Brantain in the future?
Ans: Nathalie is a flirting (behave as though sexually attracted to someone) girl. She deceives Harvy and marries with Brantain for money. She thinks that money is the source of happiness. For her, wealth is primary and love, kind, affectionate are secondary. She wants to kill two birds by an arrow. Neither she can forget Harvy nor she can forget Brantain’s wealth. It means that she wants to get pleasure with Harvy and also wants to capture the wealth of Brantain. I don’t suppose she will remain faithful to Brantain in the future because she seems not to love anybody from her heart. She has married Brantain just for money. Her intention is only to be wealthy. I do not think that she will remain faithful to Brantain in the future. Her eyes are bright and her lips looks hungry for the kiss of Harvy even at wedding day. This also proves that she will not remain faithful to Brantain in the future.
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