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Calixta is a young, unmarried woman who is part of an Acadian community in Louisiana. She is the love interest of Bobinôt, an Acadian farmer, and also briefly enjoys the attention of Alcée Laballière, a Creole planter. Calixta is very attractive. Indeed, Bobinôt describes her as having “the bluest, the drowsiest, most tantalizing” eyes and a “voice like a rich contralto song, with cadences in it that must have been taught by Satan.” Calixta is also a somewhat scandalous figure in Acadian society, though she is generally accepted. Her lack of verbal restraint renders her rather distasteful to the older, more conservative members of the community such as Madame Suzonne. However, society generally excuses her impropriety, attributing it to her Spanish blood. For most of the story, Calixta does not reciprocate Bobinôt’s feelings, viewing him as more of a fallback. Readers can see this during her rendezvous with Alcée on the gallery. When Alcée asks Calixta if she will marry Bobinôt, Calixta responds with “I don’t say no, me.” Initially, Calixta seems much more interested in Alcée: during their rendezvous, her “senses were reeling; and they well nigh left her when she felt Alcée’s lips brush her ear like the touch of a rose.” However, after Alcée abandons her on the gallery for Clarisse, Calixta becomes disillusioned enough with Alcée to accept Bobinôt’s proposal later in the night. Calixta presumably matures from the abandonment, and realizes that unlike Alcée, Bobinôt would never abandon her and would offer her his undivided attention, making him a more suitable partner for marriage.
Calixta Quotes in At the ’Cadian Ball
The At the ’Cadian Ball quotes below are all either spoken by Calixta or refer to Calixta. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
At the ’Cadian Ball
Quotes
Her eyes,—Bobinôt thought of her eyes, and weakened,—the bluest, the drowsiest, most tantalizing that ever looked into a man’s; he thought of her flaxen hair that kinked worse than a mulatto’s close to her head; that broad, smiling mouth and tiptilted nose, that full figure; that voice like a rich contralto song, with cadences in it that must have been taught by Satan, for there was no one else to teach her tricks on that ’Cadian prairie. Bobinôt thought of them all as he plowed his rows of cane.
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Calixta swore roundly in fine ’Cadian French and with true Spanish spirit, and slapped Fronie’s face.
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But he must have been crazy the day he came in from the rice-field, and, toil-stained as he was, clasped Clarisse by the arms and panted a volley of hot, blistering love-words into her face. No man had ever spoken love to her like that.
“Monsieur!” she exclaimed, looking him full in the eyes, without a quiver. Alcée’s hands dropped and his glance wavered before the chill of her calm, clear eyes.
“Par exemple!” she muttered disdainfully, as she turned from him, deftly adjusting the careful toilet that he had so brutally disarranged.
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That was an excellent thrust at Bobinôt, who had forgotten the figure of the dance with his mind bent on other things, and it started a clamor of laughter at his expense. He joined good-naturedly. It was better to receive even such notice as that from Calixta than none at all.
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Calixta’s senses were reeling; and they well-nigh left her when she felt Alcée’s lips brush her ear like the touch of a rose.
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Calixta Quotes in At the ’Cadian Ball
The At the ’Cadian Ball quotes below are all either spoken by Calixta or refer to Calixta. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
At the ’Cadian Ball
Quotes
Her eyes,—Bobinôt thought of her eyes, and weakened,—the bluest, the drowsiest, most tantalizing that ever looked into a man’s; he thought of her flaxen hair that kinked worse than a mulatto’s close to her head; that broad, smiling mouth and tiptilted nose, that full figure; that voice like a rich contralto song, with cadences in it that must have been taught by Satan, for there was no one else to teach her tricks on that ’Cadian prairie. Bobinôt thought of them all as he plowed his rows of cane.
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Calixta swore roundly in fine ’Cadian French and with true Spanish spirit, and slapped Fronie’s face.
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But he must have been crazy the day he came in from the rice-field, and, toil-stained as he was, clasped Clarisse by the arms and panted a volley of hot, blistering love-words into her face. No man had ever spoken love to her like that.
“Monsieur!” she exclaimed, looking him full in the eyes, without a quiver. Alcée’s hands dropped and his glance wavered before the chill of her calm, clear eyes.
“Par exemple!” she muttered disdainfully, as she turned from him, deftly adjusting the careful toilet that he had so brutally disarranged.
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That was an excellent thrust at Bobinôt, who had forgotten the figure of the dance with his mind bent on other things, and it started a clamor of laughter at his expense. He joined good-naturedly. It was better to receive even such notice as that from Calixta than none at all.
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Calixta’s senses were reeling; and they well-nigh left her when she felt Alcée’s lips brush her ear like the touch of a rose.
