A Respectable Woman

Characters.

Mr. Gatson Baroda

Mrs. Baroda and

Mr. Gouvernail ( Gatson friend).

The story 'A Respectable Woman' is structured around the character of Mrs. Baroda and her inner conflict as she finds herself attracted to her husband's friend.The conflict follows the pattern of classical fiction and moves from exposition to rising action and then to climax and resolution. This story has presented the identity of a married woman and her self dignity of being wife.

Mrs. Baroda was little provoked to learn from her husband that his friend Gouvernail was planning to spend a week or two on the plantation. Mrs. Baroda didn't like her husband's information because she had passed various forms of mild dissipation and she was planning for unbroken rest and undisturbed tete-a-tete with her husband. For Mrs.Baroda Gouvernail was a quiet unknown person. She had never met him before. But she knew that he and her husband has been friends in college. She had heard various things about him unconsciously in her mind. She had been told that he was a journalist. She had pictured him hands in his pockets and she didn't like him. When Gouvernail arrived and presented himself in front of the couple Mrs. Baroda kept on looking at him. Different from expectations. He was slim enough but he wasn't very tall not very cynical neither did he wear eye-glasses nor carry his hands in his pockets. So, she found herself attracted to him.

Mrs. Baroda was quite confused why she liked a person like Gouvernail. He was quite different from what her husband Gaston has said. She noticed the lack of all the positive traits within him. He wasn't frank and chatty man like him. He didn't seem brilliant but he seemed rather mute and receptive in response to their welcome and hospitality. He made no particular attempt to impress her through his acts. He seemed quite different to and listening to Gaston's experience as a sugar planter. He felt quite satisfied to experience the environment of sugar plantation. The big dogs even made him feel good. In response to Gaston's opinions, he didn't seem interested in fishing and hunting gross becks.

Mrs. Baroda found him lovable and inoffensive. she left him alone with her husband at first. She began to accompany him on his idle strolls along to overcome his reserved nature. She become tired of Gouvernail and asked her husband about his departure. For her Gouvernail was not like other guests. If he were more like others, she could plan for his comfort and enjoyment. Mr. Gaston told her that Gouvernail was not giving her any trouble and he would be staying for another week. He further asked why she didn't wish him to stay. She responded that he was more demanding. Mr. Gaston told Mrs. Baroda that Gouvernail didn't expect a commotion over his presence and that he simply wished for a break from his busy life. She reminded her husband about his description of Gouvernail as man of ideas and interesting. So, she informed him that she was going to her aunt Octavia's and he would inform Gouvernail departure.