A Respectable Woman

Mrs. Baroda is a dynamic protagonist whose character development and internal conflict propel the story. Aside from the inciting incident—Gouvernail’s arrival—the story is entirely driven by Mrs. Baroda’s changing feelings and her growing determination to understand them.

Within the span of a few short pages, Mrs. Baroda changes her mind several times about her husband’s friend and is increasingly puzzled by her internal responses, and the narrative reaches its climax when she realizes her overwhelming physical desire for Gouvernail. The realization reflects the central conflict of the story: She longs for passionate release and individuality, but she must negotiate between this urge and her view of herself as a “respectable woman.” The conflict is only magnified by Mrs. Baroda’s intense self-awareness; her ability to recognize her feelings, and her willingness to dissect them, is critical to the underlying themes of The Search for Female Identity. Her efforts in self-examination reveal that she is conscientious and intelligent, and in addition to thinking of herself as a respectable woman, she considers herself to be “a sensible one” (Paragraph 28).

Mrs. Baroda’s role as a loving wife is also a critical component of her character, and one that is vital to overarching themes of the story.