I've decided to discuss some of the characters that have been managed to remain in my memory over the last few weeks. I haven't found any characters I have connected with, yet, but some have certainly been interesting.
The character I have found myself thinking about most is Calixta, from "At the 'Cadian Ball." I am not sure what it is that draws me to her, because I mainly only remember her for her adultery, and I am curious as to what it is about her that fascinates me. Perhaps Kate Chopin, the creator of this character, did such a good job of making Calixta special that she not only interested the men and women of the story but also the people who read about her? Calixta strikes me as the type of woman who would steal the attention of everyone in her presence, so maybe I just admire her for it.
Another character I remember well wasn't named, but I find myself drawn to him as well. The poem entitled "The Road Not Traveled" has probably been my favorite, so the character has stuck with me almost as much as Calixta has. Again, I don't know why I like this poem so much or what it is I am drawn to. The nameless person (I imagine it's a man) decides to choose one of two paths, and he later reflects on how happy he is with his decision. I have a strange way about deciding things; sometimes I analyze situations for weeks or months before I can make a decision, other times I decide on a whim. I think I admire this character for his thoughtfulness; I hope to be more responsible with all my choices in the way he appears to be.
One character I did NOT like is the speaker from "the mother." I did enjoy the poem, but the person speaking irked me. The fact that she had multiple abortions yet almost mourned the children she aborted had me confused and irritated. Obviously the subject of abortion is a touchy one, but when a person uses abortions as their form of birth control I lose respect for them. Then this woman goes on to say how she loved her babies, her "pulps." Lady, if you loved them you wouldn't have done what you did so many times. There could have been circumstances that made her feel it was her only option, but in most cases abortion isn't the only option. Okay, I will step down from my soap box because I can ramble on if I don't cut myself off.
I find what you said about Calixta interesting. I do not remember many of the characters I have read about, but she is one of them that I remember and wondered about. She's not someone I really admire, but I like how she is differant from the other women. Since she committed adultery, I would like to know how she could cheat on her child's father and not feel guilty or did she feel guilty and we didn't know about it.
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