Women's roles in society have changed from century to century. There were centuries where women were put on a pedestal and expected to obey their husbands and if not they had to resort to other means to provide for themselves, or more like the current century where women are as equal as men men and are more independent than ever. There is an author named Kate Chopin who lived in times when women were expected to obey their husbands, but she had the mindset of a time, more like the present, when women could be more independent. Kate Chopin wrote two stories in particular that show this idea of ​​thinking. One is "A Respectable Woman," a story in which a man invites his lifelong friend to stay with him and his wife for a while. During this time it is very clear that the wife, Mrs. Baroda, feels certain attractions to her husband's friend, Gouvernail, but due to the century in question she is not allowed to act on those feelings. During her stay Mrs. Baroda does everything in her power to avoid Gouvernail until he leaves. When he finally leaves, Mrs. Baroda changes her attitude towards the situation, she tells her husband that her friend, Gouvernail, is welcome to return at any time and that she will be very "kind" to him. The second story that refers to this idea of ​​an independent woman is called “The Story of an Hour”. This story is about a woman, Mrs. Mallard, and her emotional journey after the death of her husband. At first she seems unquestionably distracted by the fact that her husband has just died; however, when she retreats to her room, she comes face to face with something coming her way. After facing this monster her attitude changes, Mrs. Mallard continues to whisper how she is and I quote “Free! Free body and soul!” ...... half of the sheet ...... time in which these stories were published. If you know history, the Elizabethan era, the era in which Kate Chopin lived and these stories were written, was a time when women had few rights and certain matters were secret. The fact is that Kate Chopin had enormous difficulty trying to publish them, a difficulty that women today would not have. As you can see from both of these tales, women today have come a long way from what centuries past had done. we expected women to be, now we can only learn from the past and not limit the roles that some genders have in our society. Women today are strong and independent. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. "A respectable woman." The Victorain era short story collection. New York: Viking Press, 2088. 98-99. Press.-. "The Story of an Hour." Vogue (1894): 83-84. Press. December 11th 2013.