“Regret” by Kate Chopin

Reader Response

Directions: Please type your responses to the following questions and prompts. You may use

this file as a template, if you like. Except for items 1 and 6, your responses can be informal (not

necessarily complete sentences, more like notes). Note, this assignment is collectible :-)

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1. Compose a complete sentence (that includes the title and author) that states the author’s

meaning or purpose.

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Kate Chopin uses the story about Mamzelle takes care of neighbor’s kids for two weeks

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to express that people will regret if they don’t live fullest.

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2. Briefly describe the protagonist/main character in the story (Mamzelle Aurélie).

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She is fifty years old, gray hair, determined eyes, and ruddy cheeks. She has a farm to

take care and lives with her dog and negroes who work for her. From the story, she is a
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kind and has no skills to take care of children.

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3. Describe Mamzelle Aurelie's state of mind in each of the three stages: before, during, and

after the presence of the children.

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Before: she is unwilling to take care of the children and always compliant.

During: She knows nothing about taking care of children and how to communicate with
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children. She starts to acquaint with the children and glad to learn some mother-tricks
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from aunt Ruby. And at the end she is used to take care and stay with the children.

After: she feels empty when the children return back to their home.
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4. Find evidence (quotations) in the text for each of the following:

o Mamzelle Aurélie's masculine qualities : 1. “she wore a man’s hat about the

farm, and an old blue army overcoat when it was cold, and sometimes top-

boots.” 2. “But little children are not little pigs: they require and demand
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 attentions which were wholly unexpected by Mamzelle, and which she was ill

prepared to give.”

Mamzelle Aurélie's feminine qualities: 1. “what about the tub of water which had

to be brought and set in the middle of the floor, in which the little tired, dusty,

sun-browned feet had every one to washed sweet and clean?” 2. “She was glad

enough to learn a few little mother-tricks to serve the moment’s need.” 3. “She let

her head fall down upon her bended arm, and began to cry.”

o Mamzelle Aurélie's maternal qualities: 1. “And it was not the first or the

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second night that she could sleep comfortably with little Elodie’s hot, plump

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body pressed close against her, and the little one’s warm breath beating her

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cheek like the fanning of a bird’s wing.” 2. “She got down her sewing-basket,
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which she seldom used, from the top shelf of the armoire, and placed it within

the ready and easy reach which torn slips and buttonless waists demanded.”
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3. “But she could still faintly hear the shrill, glad voices of the children.”
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5. Describe each of the "chillun" in a word or two.

Hard and cold.

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6. Translate the following dialect into clear, "proper" English:

 "T ain' ispected sich as you would know airy thing 'bout 'em, Mamzelle Aurélie. I see
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dat plainly yistiddy w'en I spy dat li'le chile playin' wid yo' baskit o' keys. You don'
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know dat makes chillun grow up hard-headed, to play wid keys? Des like it make 'em
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teeth hard to look in a lookin'-glass. Them's the things you got to know in the raisin'

an' manigement o' chillun."

They did not expect as you would know everything about them, Mazelle Aurelie. I

see this plainly children were playing with your basket of keys yesterday. You dondt

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 know that makes children grow up hard-headed, to play with keys? Does it make

them teeth hard to looking. These are things you need to raising and management of

children.

7. Comment on the role of Ponto in the story.

A long-term companion.

8. Write at least three discussable questions (about character, motivation, figurative

language, author’s meaning/purpose, etc.) that the reading brings to mind.

1. Will she want to get married? 2. Will she want to adopt a child to make her life not that

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empty? 3. What is she going to do in her future?

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