Response to a Discussion Question on “Desiree’s Baby” and “A New England Nun”

Response to a Discussion Question

Here are several questions for you to think about. What do Kate Chopin and Mary E. Wilkins Freeman seem to be saying about gender and hierarchy in “Desiree’s Baby” and “A New England Nun”? How do race and class complicate “Desiree’s Baby”? Both of these stories have elements of regionalism. Do both stories strike you as examples of American literary realism, or naturalism? Discuss and explain, and cite examples from both stories to illustrate your ideas.