A Pair of Silk Stockings

Does Chopin lead the reader to judge Mrs. Sommers for the way she spends her money or not? How is this evident in the story’s language?

Chopin wrote many stories about married women facing difficult circumstances, and one of these is called “The Story of an Hour.” Read that story and compare Mrs. Mallard with Mrs. Sommers. Which protagonist is more sympathetic and why?

The words “little” and “small” are used to describe Mrs. Sommers, or parts of her person, several times throughout the story. What are the implications of Chopin’s choice to describe her in this way?