Regret

A third-person omniscient narrator is telling this story. What is the tone of this narrator? Are they sympathetic with the characters, or do they have another attitude toward them? How would the story change if the narrator was told in first person using one of the characters as the narrator?

In her story “Regret,” Chopin writes in the vein of realism, conveying fictional material that may only be apprehended through the senses. What are the challenges for conveying a story in which there are no analyses of character motives and traits? What are the strengths of realism? What are its limitations?

Indirection is a method of revealing a character’s traits without explicitly stating them. One application of indirection is showing how other characters respond to a character. In “Regret,” the narrator reveals how the children respond to Mamzelle Aurélie and her inadequacies at bedtime. This response is in the form of questions. Take one of these questions and flesh it out in a short scene. In writing your scene, don’t follow the strict realism employed by Chopin. Instead, include your characters’ thoughts.