Ripe Figs Kate Chopin Analysis

The author Kate Chopin is a woman born in the 1800’s who wrote about the individuality of women and understanding a woman’s viewpoint during this time. Women in the 19th century were not culturally and economically accepted, wherefore they were thought as property to be owned by anyone who pleases. An analysis of Chopin’s, “Ripe Figs” will show the use of theme through patience, freedom, and maturity by relating the maturity process to the seasons of the year and the ripening of the figs.

The first theme that Kate Chopin provides an image of is patience. One-way Chopin presents patience in her writing is through her usage of comparing Mamaine-Nainaine to Babette. When she says, “Mamaine-Nainaine was as patient as the statue of La Madone, and

Kate Chopin is well-known for writing about women and their experiences concerning their freedom. In essence, the women were hoping for the chains of society, and their societies standards to change. Particularly in the story “Ripe Figs,” she gives us a different view of freedom. To start off, Babette has a limited privilege to make choices for herself in the story. Consequently, when Mamaine-Nainaine informs Babette “when the figs were ripe Babette might go to visit her cousins down on the Bayou-Lafourche” (25), this was Mamaine-Nainaine limiting Babette’s freedom until she is mature enough. Meanwhile, during this age women had a restriction on how they could feel and act their whole life. Nevertheless Chopin shows a girl who has the privilege of going where she truly wants to go during this narrative after developing into a sophisticated young women. Another way freedom interprets this story is using religious aspects. When Kate Chopin refers to the “la Madone” (26), this is a statue that represents Mary and Jesus when he was a child. This statue serves as a symbol of what Babette believes, and how in this time, she had to believe the way her family believes. Henceforth, being unable to embrace a belief for her own self. Finally, the theme of freedom is in use at the end of the story when Mamaine-Nainaine lets Babette go see her cousins. Babette has finally reached the point of maturity and can freely

At the beginning of the story, Mamaine-Nainaine tells Babette, she is not allowed to visit her cousins until the figs have ripened. In this case, Kate Chopin indicates that “the ripening of figs had the least thing to do with it” (25). Notably the reason Mamaine-Nainaine wants to wait is to give Babette time to mature into a young woman who has entrustment to carry a message to her cousins. When Mamaine-Nainaine says “you will carry my love to them all down on Bayou-Lafourche” (26), indeed she has finally entrusted Babette to carry an important message. Secondly, the theme of maturity displays through the vivid imagery Chopin provides. When she says, “green marbles,” and “purple figs” (26), both are indications of Babette’s growth through the different seasons. Chopin suggests the ripening of the figs occur from springtime to late summer, when she says, “warm rains came along and plenty of strong sunshine” (26). To further illustrate her saying, she describes the color of the figs when unripe, green, to ripe, purple. Finally, the theme of maturity appears over Babette’s character change throughout the story. Starting at the beginning of the story, the reader will see that Babette was as “restless as a hummingbird” (26), and dance’s where the fig trees were. Truly showing her youth and innocence. As time went on, Babette became