Naturalism Theme Analysis

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 to counter certain aspects of Victorian literature that were prominent earlier in the 19th century. Many Victorian writers created characters who transcend their circumstances through either a good heart or a providential change in fate. By contrast, Chopin creates characters who are heavily impacted by their surroundings and circumstances, suggesting that people can’t simply choose what happens to them; rather, the story argues that broad external forces like nature and society play crucial roles in determining an individual’s fate.

In the first part of the story, Bobinôt is a prime example of a character whose fate is determined by natural forces. Bobinôt does not seem to relish the fact that he loves Calixta. Indeed, it seems that if it were his choice, he would sooner love another woman: “Why could he not love Ozéina, who would marry him to-morrow; or Fronie, or one of a dozen others, rather than that little Spanish vixen?” The narrator implies that Bobinôt could easily win the hand of another woman. However, nature has determined that he should be overwhelmingly attracted to Calixta, with her “voice like a rich contralto song, with cadences in it that must have been taught by Satan.” Calixta has bewitched Bobinôt (perhaps even by supernatural means, as the reference to Satan suggests), and he is not free to love anyone except her. Despite his love for Calixta, Bobinôt had originally decided not to go to the ball.  Nevertheless, while shopping at Friedheimer’s store, “he heard someone say that Alcée Laballière would be there.” After hearing this, Bobinôt decides to go to the ball out of a sense of responsibility for Calixta and a desire to protect her from Alcée, who could get “the devil in his head” after some drinks. Here, Bobinôt ends up doing something totally different than what he intended and feels that he has no choice about it—his environment seems to have decided his fate.

Alcée Laballière is probably the most overt example of a naturalistic character in “At the ’Cadian Ball”—in a very literal sense, nature changes his fate. At the beginning of Alcée’s narrative, readers learn that “that was the year that [he] put nine hundred acres in rice,” but then “the cyclone came [and] cut into the rice like fine steel.” For a farmer, such a disaster could be nothing short of devastating; Alcée lost his crops and, consequently, his income. This loss, combined with Clarisse’s rejection, leads Alcée to go to the ball in order to relieve stress, and the story notes: “what he did not show outwardly was that he was in the mood for ugly things to-night.” In other words, Alcée is looking to seduce a woman to alleviate his frustrations with Clarisse and the cyclone—both forces beyond his control. The excitement of the ball leads Alcée to flirt intimately with Calixta on the gallery. However, his flirtation appears to be more the result of instinct—of nature—rather than rational decision-making; the two are “acting like fools.” When Clarisse comes to fetch him, Alcée immediately changes: “For an instant confusion reigned in Alcée’s thoughts, as with one who awakes suddenly from a dream.” It is as if Clarisse, one force of nature, has derailed Calixta, another force of nature. Alcée is simply caught in the middle of everything, powerless against these forces.   

On the surface, it may seem like Calixta is not a naturalistic character; she defies societal conventions and seems outwardly in charge of her own fate. However, the latter half of “At the ’Cadian Ball” reveals that even Calixta is, in the end, the product of her circumstances. Calixta is drawn to Alcée under the magic of the ball, in the same way that Alcée is drawn to her. For Calixta, the handsome Alcée is also a force of nature: “Calixta’s senses were reeling; and they well-nigh left her when she felt Alcée’s lips brush against her ear like the touch of a rose.” The narrator compares Alcée’s charm to that of a rose, underscoring this moment’s connection to nature in its instinctual irresistibility. It is important to note that Calixta most likely has no intention of engaging in an enduring attachment with Alcée. Indeed, when Alcée asks her if she plans on marrying Bobinôt, she responds, “I don’t say no, me.” Calixta’s noncommittal attraction to Alcée is comparable to a sort of animal instinct, something beyond her rational control. Calixta’s eventual acceptance of Bobinôt most likely arises as a result of the events of the ball. It is clear that she feels rejected when Alcée leaves her for Clarisse. When Alcée turns back to say goodnight and shake hands, “she [pretends] not to see it.” This rejection spurs her to accept the advances of a man who has eyes for no one but herself: Bobinôt. It is interesting to note that after rejecting Alcée’s offer for a handshake, Calixta, after accepting Bobinôt, “[holds] out her hand in the business-like manner of a man who clinches a bargain with a hand-clasp.” Circumstances have caused Calixta to accept a man she was previously unsure of, and she does so in the least romantic, most matter-of-fact way possible.

“At the ’Cadian Ball” depicts characters in a naturalistic manner: Bobinôt, Alcée, and Calixta are not in control of their fates, even as they shape each other’s. In this way, the lives of these characters resemble the lives of real people: the story reminds readers that circumstances are often beyond humans’ control, and Chopin suggests that fiction should reflect this reality.