Who are the characters in "The Kiss" by Kate Chopin and what are their characteristics?

The three characters in Kate Chopin’s short story “The Kiss” are Nathalie, Brantain and Harvy. As with much of Kate Chopin’s work, this story sheds light on women’s lives and their place in society. Here the story’s focus is on Nathalie’s efforts to ensure she marries Brantain, a rich man, despite her apparent attachment to Harvy.

The characters are seen to some extent through the eyes of the other characters so our knowledge of their characteristics are affected by this. Brantain, for example, is described as being “rather insignificant and unattractive” as well as “enormously rich." These characteristics are seen at least in part through the point of view of Nathalie. Likewise, Nathalie is described at first through the eyes of Brantain; she is apparently “very handsome” and also “composed."

Brantain is described as "a frank, blustering fellow without guile enough to conceal his feelings, and no desire to do so." He comes across as a well-meaning, jovial, kind man, somebody who Nathalie is easily able to manipulate.

Meanwhile Harvy is seen purely through his actions and conversation with Nathalie. He comes across as confident and self-assured. Unwilling to be manipulated by Nathalie, he refuses to enter into her games and does not simply do as she hopes.

Nathalie is shown throughout the story to be manipulative and calculating in the pursuit of her plan. Consider, for example, how she describes her relationship with Harvy to Brantain, saying exactly what is needed to reassure him and make sure he is still interested in her. Without this intervention, Brantain would simply have backed off, as he does in the scene where Harvy kisses Nathalie. Her hope is to marry well, and also maintain a romantic attachment with Harvy, and it looks, until the end. like she might succeed: “She felt like a chess player who, by the clever handling of his pieces, sees the game taking the course intended.”

We learn much about each character and their emotions and values by observing their reactions and responses. It is helpful to think, for example, what we learn about their attitudes to money, love, pride, friendship, honesty, and communication through the events of the story. At the same time, it is useful to add the context of the social setting to their values and consider how this impacts their behavior.

There are only three characters in this story; Brantain, Harvy and Nathalie. Natahlie is being courted by the rich Mr. Brantain. They are sitting together when Mr. Harvy comes in a plants a big kiss right on Natahlie's lips. She obviously likes Harvy, he is a friend of her brothers, but it is more important for her to convince Brantain that she likes HIM because Brantain is rich and Nathalie wants to marry him.

Nathalie is a calculating young woman. She sets her sights on Brantain and  when Harvy comes in and kisses her, thus threatening her relationship with Brantain, she immediately sets to work to fix things. She convinces Brantain that the kiss means nothing.

Brantain is rather unsure of himself. The story calls him "insignifcant" and "unattractive" whereas Harvy is brash, attractive and outgoing. Brantain immediately gets up to leave when Harvy kisses Nathalie, assuming the worst. After Nathalie coaxes him and convinces him she does not care for Harvy, they marry. Harvy approaches Nathalie at her wedding and informs her that her new husband has sent him over to kiss Natahlie - "No hard feelings," so to speak, but he tells her he will NOT kiss her. He has given up kissing women. It is too dangerous. He is joking with her, tongue in cheek, kind of telling her, "Hey, you made your choice, so now live with it." The author says he has a sly smile on his face when he greets Natahlie at her wedding.

Natahlie, however, coldly concludes that, oh well, sometimes we can't have everything. She has made her choice. Money over love.

Who are the protagonist and antagonist in "The Kiss" by Kate Chopin?

Well, I suppose this question depends very much on who you side with when you think about the characters in this short story. The protagonist is the character who is trying to achieve something and the antagonist is the character who is trying to stop them. If you side most with Nathalie, you would therefore say that she is the protagonist and the antagonist, the person who is stopping her from achieving her dreams and goal, is actually the rather foolish and ignorant Brantain who sees her with Harry and then threatens to break off their relationship.

However, if you see things the other way round, you could argue that the rather naive Brantain is the protagonist and that Nathalie is the antagonist. She is clearly a calculating individual who has no love for Brantain at all and only wants the wealth and prestige that marriage to him would give her:

The rather insignificant and unattractive Brantain was enormously rich; and she liked and required the entourage which wealth could give her.

If we take this view of the story, then Brantain is the poor man who cannot be saved from the rather sinister designs placed on him by Nathalie, and Brantain is therefore the protagonist with Nathalie being his beautiful nemesis.