At the Cadian Ball

"At the 'Cadian Ball," written by Kate Chopin in 1892,[1] was the less popular prequel to her 1898 short story "The Storm." A distinctive feature of the short story is the use of local color.[1]

Plot summary

The 'Cadian Ball is a soirée for young Cajun people to find marriage suitors. Calixta is the belle of the ball and describes the young men as boring and plain looking. The only man she finds attractive is Alcée. They sneak off together and discuss their former relationship. Clarisse, whom Alcée was originally courting, had refused to accept him, but after seeing him leave for the ball, she follows and asks Alcée to come with her, claiming that "something terrible has happened." After leading him away, she admits that nothing has happened, but that she is in love with him. However, Calixta ends up with Bobinôt, a man she is not very attracted to, but someone she will settle for.

References

1. Serafin, Steven R.; Bendixen, Alfred. The Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature. New York: Continuum, 2003, p. 188, ISBN 978-0-8264-1517-2.