Chopin

Chopin Kate Chopin’s Symbolic Use of Nature Kate Chopin uses nature and symbolism throughout her three short stories. Her vivid use of nature and its elements allow the reader to get a realistic view of the characters and their setting. By using nature to represent the feelings of her characters, Chopin allows the reader to evoke emotions they might have felt during similar times or situations. A simple example of symbolism would be the use a dark forest in a story. The dark forest could possible represent evil or confusion (1380). Like the example Chopin uses a specific season like spring or naturally occurring thunderstorms to symbolize new life or uncontrollable passion. In the first story the reader encounters Babette and Maman-Nainaine. Quickly the reader learns that Babette is waiting for the figs to ripen before she is allowed to visit her cousins. Figs have little if nothing to do with Babette being able to leave, but instead they symbolize her coming of age. Figs tend to ripen in late spring to early summer. Spring and summer are times of life and growth. So Babette is like a ripening fig reader, spring, chopin, babette, story, rain, new, mallard, life, symbolize, symbolism, nature, mrs, figs, calixta, alcee, weather, storm, stories, ripen, levee, however, before, back, water, using, trying, time, summer, ripened, represent, quickly, passion, leaves, emotions, coming, chopin’s, being, vivid, very, times, three, small, situations, simple, similar, sees, say, response, readers