What does she finds out during her fantasy of independence and self-

fulfillment?
With her stories, Chopin addresses women 's rights in distinct and various ways.
In this story the themes of freedom from suppression and independence in
general, are evident through the plot, character and style of the story. The main
character here, Mrs. Sommers was giving everything she had to her children,
however as soon as she was placed in the correct position and with the right (for
her) amount of money, she collapsed under this opportunity to treat herself
properly.
Even though throughout the story, we see her frantically spending the money, in
the beginning she was quite cautious with this action.
(Page 1 paragraph 2)
“For a day or two she walked about apparently in a dreamy state, but really
absorbed in speculation and calculation. She did not wish to act hastily, to do
anything she might afterward regret.”
After Mrs Sommers finds the money and finally decides to go to the market, she
finds herself to be “a little too faint and tired” to bargain with the shop owners.
She had enough money, after a very long time and did not even feel the need to
bargain.
She understands that fifteen dollars has been enough to bring her back to her
past, her past pleasures and to give her a feeling of control, even though it does
not suffice to change her basic situation.
(Page 2 last paragraph)
“She was not thinking at all. She seemed for the time to be taking a rest from
that laborious and fatiguing function and to have abandoned herself to some
mechanical impulse that directed her actions and freed her of responsibility.”
Mrs Sommers's purchase of silk stockings, a symbol of a relatively luxurious
life, may be interpreted as her attempt to deny the limits that characterize her
general everyday living situation.
“ How good was the touch of raw silk to her flesh. She felt like lying back in the
cushioned chair and revelling for a while in the luxury of it”.
Mrs. Sommers’s behaviour of impatiently changing her stockings right then and
there in the store, just shows how much she was craving for self-gratification.
She peels off her old stockings as if she wants to get rid off her previous self
and be completely new and independent. When she just relaxes in the chair,
taking her time to fully grasp the moment just shows how much she is not
motivated by other’s thoughts , but motivated only by her pleasure.
What does she finds out during her fantasy of independence and self-
fulfillment?
She is now understanding that she has been so busy completing her daily
household duties that she had no time at all “to devote to the past.” Escaping
from her familial obligations for one afternoon, she finally begins to make
decisions for herself. Her feminine side along with her sexual one, are more
prominent than ever. She is fully aware that she sacrificed these sides through
the domestic way of living and because of that she became emotionally
deprived.
In spite of that, she feels acknowledged and accepted, even if that feeling will
not last long.
“The play was over, the music ceased, the crowd filed out. It was like a dream
ended.
Ending this precious day, this fantasy that she had a chance to be part of, she
knows that she will have to devote herself to her family and its responsibilities
once again. Perhaps now that she found out ,what its like to feel independent
and not self-conscious, she will incorporate small pleasures like these in her
daily life and not sacrifice her well-being again.