illustrated portrait of American author Kate Chopin

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Which female character in Chopin's stories truly loves her husband: Calixta, Louise, or Desiree?

Quick answer:

Louise Mallard: no love for her husband, just relief at his death. Calixta: great love for her husband. Desiree: great love for her husband, but he does not return the feeling.

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I think one can argue that both Calixta and Desiree truly do love their husbands. However, one would be hard-pressed to make the same argument about Louise Mallard.

When Louise learns of her husband's (supposed) death in a train accident, her chief reaction is to be relieved. She is not cruel, but widowhood seems to represent a new kind of freedom for her, as she thinks that "There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself." Despite her husband's evident love for her, she felt repressed by the institution of marriage, and she revels in the idea that she will now be "'free, free, free!'" The narrator tells us that "she had loved him⁠—sometimes," but her new freedom is of far more value to Louise than that love had ever been.

Calixta, although she does have sex with another man⁠—a former lover, in fact⁠—seems to truly love her husband. The one discretion, the work of an afternoon, was not based in love but, rather, passion. In fact, the narrator says,

The generous abundance of her passion, without guile or trickery, was like a white flame which penetrated and found response in depths of [her lover's] own sensuous nature that had never yet been reached.

The tryst was unplanned, almost accidental. Calixta worries for her family, hoping that they are safe from the storm outside, and she fusses over her husband when he returns; she "express[es] nothing but satisfaction at their safe return." He's brought her some shrimp, and she is thrilled with the offering, kissing him and praising him in response. It may seem strange to say, but I don't think her love for her husband had anything to do with her sexual encounter with her former lover. One relationship is based on love, and the other doesn't even qualify as a relationship⁠—it was just a passionate afternoon that almost seemed inevitable and long-coming.

Desiree also loves her husband, though he does not deserve it. She lives and dies by his approval and love. When she goes to speak with him about their child, she speaks "in a voice which must have stabbed him, if he was human," as she so loves him and simply wants his love in return. When he withdraws it, she wanders off into the bayou with their child, never to be seen again. We assume that she would rather die than live without her husband's love.

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Chopin’s stories often depict women who are trapped by gender role expectations and pressured to conform to societal norms. In these instances, all three characters - Calixta (“The Storm”), Louise (“The Story of an Hour”) and Desiree (“Desiree’s Baby”) – are each married. However, only Desiree truly loves her husband.

Calixta demonstrates (through her passionate act with Alcee) that her commitment to her marriage is brittle and weak. Though her remarks do not betray contempt for her marital union, her spontaneous and lustful reaction to Alcee’s advances suggests that she feels less than fulfilled within her marriage. When her husband returns following the storm, she easily falls into what seems to be a monotonous routine.

The character of Louise Mallard is also dissatisfied with her marital arrangement. According to the text, she “did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance.” Rather, she immediately gave way to tears, crying and sobbing in her sister’s arms. Her tears flow rapidly and abundantly. Then, they are gone. Louise goes upstairs to her room and tries to resist feelings that seem to overpower her. She attempts to halt a feeling of freedom and to suppress her joy at being released from an unfulfilling marriage. Finally, she acknowledges her joy and her husband returns. She drops dead from the shock, demonstrating that she was so discontented with her marriage that the realization that she was still bound to her husband was so disappointing that it killed her.  

Desiree Valmonde married Armand Aubigny because she loved him entirely. Her first desire was to please her husband and she was certain that she succeeded when she gave him a son. She felt that her good marriage was bettered by the presence of her child. She was content to be loved by a husband whom she adored.  Unfortunately, when Armand began to change for the worse, neglecting and avoiding her and her marriage began to fall apart. When he accusingly suggests that she is not white and openly shows his disgust for her, she still holds out the hope that her love will soothe and conquer his disquietude. Instead, he rejects her and she lovingly leaves her home to appease him. Her love for Armand was strong enough to endure heartbreak, sacrifice and shame.

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