Take a look around. Look at men and women in today's world. Do men have a significant influence on women's lives? Through her short stories, Kate Chopin shows how men negatively influence women's lives through cruel and controlling actions. In "Desiree's Baby," Desiree's husband ends his love for her because he suspects her of being part black. In "A Point At Issue," Faraday told his wife, Eleanor, about his attraction to the young Kitty, causing Eleanor to become jealous. Also, in "A Respectable Woman," Gaston Baroda brings his friend to stay, tempting Mrs. Baroda to cheat on her husband.

In "Desiree's Baby," a negative influence on Desiree's life is portrayed when her husband sends her away for assuming she is part black, causing her to kill herself. Sensing something was wrong, she asked if he wanted her to go. "Yes, I want you to go," was the reply...