This flash story by Kate Chopin packs several themes into less than 300 words. The most obvious are the different perspectives on the marking and passage of time. Maman-Nainaine is close to the land and marks events by natural cycles as opposed to the calendar. For her, like many older people, the weeks and months pass quickly. For Babette, thanks to the impatience of youth, time seems to move slowly when looking forward to something. The symbolism of ripening figs (representing the maturing of Babette into womanhood) and chrysanthemums (the “death flower” in Creole culture) indicate other possible themes.
Original Text / PDF / Audio ( words)
Video Version
This 1977 adaption of the story by Ripe Figs Productions focuses on the girl (Babette), and introduces a love interest as the reason she is so anxious to go back to Bayou-Boeuf.