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At the ’Cadian Ball
Themes and Colors
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in At the ’Cadian Ball, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Love vs. Attraction
In “At the ’Cadian Ball,” Kate Chopin draws a clear distinction between love and attraction. In the story, attraction generally takes the form of flirtation while love takes the form of devotion. Bobinôt’s feelings and behavior towards Calixta exemplify love; although she pays no attention to him throughout most of the story, Bobinôt remains smitten and delights in any recognition Calixta shows him. On the other hand, Alcée Laballiére shows how this kind of…
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Decorum, Impropriety, and Feminism
Chopin wrote “At the ’Cadian Ball” in 1892, during the end of the Victorian era, in which people placed high value on decorum and good manners. Individuals (especially women) of at least modest standing were generally expected to be mild-mannered and polite. Calixta is neither of these qualities; though a lady, she is unrestrained and sometimes rather rude. However, despite her impropriety, Calixta is popular and, for the most part, well-liked. Chopin is known for…
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Naturalism
Literary naturalism refers to a sort of extreme realism, where natural forces predetermine characters’ decisions. “At the ’Cadian Ball” demonstrates this naturalism in the deterministic way that Chopin portrays the events of the story. Throughout the story, many events occur in a cause-and-effect sequence, and characters don’t really seem make their own decisions—it is as if nature guides them. Chopin’s decision to employ naturalism in “At the ’Cadian Ball” may be seen as an attempt…
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