In reading "A Respectable Woman" by Kate Chopin it is apparent that she is very much a realist. Her works are all fictional stories but they represent the stark realities of life. She does not dramatize or make her characters appear heroic, but simply portrays them as everyday people trying to overcome everyday conflicts. Chopin's writing is very unconventional for her time. The female characters in her stories defy the conventional role of women in her time. In writing her stories through her point of view it is obvious that Chopin identifies with her characters. Chopin uses her own unique style, tone and irony to reflect the inner conflict within Mrs. Baroda in "A Respectable Woman.".
The style and diction Chopin uses in the story emulate an educated person behind the words as well as in the character of Mrs. Baroda. Chopin uses sentences of substantial length. She gives Mrs. Baroda proper etiquette and an educated vocabulary. Mrs. Baroda is given life with Chopin's words. Her husband exclaims, "You are full of surprises, ma belle," (Chopin 374). And, when asked what is troubling her about Gouvernail, Mrs. Baroda's response is somewhat arrogant; "You used to say he was a man of ideas" (Chopin 374). This response makes it seem as if Mrs. Baroda is bored with Gouvernail, highly contrasting to conventional attitudes of women of that time. .
Chopin's use of tone is also innately unique to her considering the time of her writings. Her attitude towards the recognition of female intelligence shines through her work. She gives Mrs. Baroda the thoughts of a regular woman and the capacity to recognize them. Though Mrs. Baroda's thoughts concerning Gouvernail may seem to be indecent or scandalous within the .
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society of her time, they are private and natural. Chopin's intention is to bring an awakening to society regarding the female persona. She does so with this display of tone.
