Three Instances of Symbolism Growing up in a fairly wealthy family, Kate Chopin was a very bright and well-educated woman for her time period. Her feminist views were far ahead of her time however. In her works, she wrote about topics that were morally important to her, such as a woman¡¯s right to be independent and the right to make one¡¯s own choices in life. In a time when women were expected to …showed first 75 words of 489 total…

…showed last 75 words of 489 total…powerful attraction between Calixta and her old lover, as well as the chaos she experiences as Alcee tries to sleep with her. The bolt of lightning hitting the chinaberry tree foreshadows the act of adultery. Lastly, the social ladder are symbolized by the horse Alcee rides and Bobinot¡¯s bare feet. Symbols like these are not easy to spot at first, but it¡¯s these that make the story all the more interesting to interpret.