La Folle In Kate Chopin's Beyond The Bayou

How can a hero live in isolation, yet possesses the strength of a valor to protect and serve others? Heroes are seen everywhere. There is no set definition of what a true heroes’ characteristics are, therefore, it is noteworthy to mention the uniqueness that each possesses. In the analysis of a short story by Kate Chopin titled “Beyond the Bayou”, it identifies with La Folle who is a hero by setting her fears aside at the nick of time to rescue a boy who she dearly loved like her own. The action is a characteristic of who a true hero is. She is physically strong, nurture, and protect whenever necessary. Amidst her traumatic childhood experience, La Folle remains a compassionate middle aged woman. Her warmth towards other despite the isolation
Despite her traumatic experience in her childhood, she demonstrates a heroic trait of self-sacrificing and care for others by saving Cheri’s life. Her heroic act is exemplified after calling for help and realizing no one has heard her cries, La Folle “Then shutting her eyes, she ran suddenly down the shallow bank of the bayou, and never stopped till she had climbed the opposite shore” (Chopin 3). By saving a boy’s life, in a twisted, ironic she overcame her fear and her perception changed. She sees a field with “white, bursting cotton, with the dew upon it” (Chopin, 4), hears birds singing, and appreciates the colors and perfumes of various flowers; in essence, the ordinary has become extraordinary: “It all looked like enchantment beneath the sparkling sheen of dew” (5). Fear can be classified as a disease because it robbed La Folle of a lifetime memory. By drawing an imaginary line, through the wood that she never crossed because believed that past the bayou, all is “flaming red.” Isolation and fear can be subdued by an act of kindness, a heroic gesture. As culled from King James Version, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (KJV 2 Timothy 1:7). Her bravery in overcoming her troubled past and imaginary lines drawn from the memory of seeing a wounded soldier covered in black and crimson {…}, set her free with the
The act yielded positive reinforcement which brought about great pleasure in Benjamin and his grandfather bonding and talking for hours at a time (Fitzgerald 7). Regardless of the circumstances surrounding individuals, true heroism shines through. The call to act by safe guarding others in the face of adversary often times speak volume of a hero. La Folle’s heroic act in saving Cheri was remarkable. Conquering her fears was important in other for her to cross the bayou and the act brought about a change in her views on life, thus embracing the new light in which the world was perceived,