Ripe Figs

The Age of The Figs “Not that the ripening of figs had the least thing to do with it, but that is the way Maman-Nainaine was”. Maman-Nainaine the godmother of Babette told her that when the figs ripen that she is allow to visit her cousin in Bayou-Boeuf. It seems that Babette is young, somewhere in her teens for the fact that she would check the figs constantly just wishing they would ripen faster. Maman-Nainaine wouldn’t pay much mind to them because she knew when the time was right the figs would be ready and ripe. Living in Louisiana, fig tree requires lots of sunshine, plenty of water and open space. So we can assume that they live in a not too populated area and is farmer friendly. In “Ripe Figs” Kate Chopin shows how youth and age differ in a sense of time and environment. You get the feeling that Maman-Nainaine is the head of the household. Her being much older and wiser then Babette she is trying to teach her to be patient and once the figs ripen she may go see her cousins. “Maman-Nainaine was as patient as the statue of la Madone”. Maman-Nainaine had all the time in the world. She must have enjoyed planting all sorts of plants and knew according to the seasons when the figs should be ready. Babette on the other hand didn’t believe in patients. “Every day Babette danced out to where the fig-trees were”. She was constantly checking the figs wanting them to ripen so she could go visit her cousins. Every time she went to check on them she was disappointed to see they have yet to ripen. Till that one day when she checked on them she was pleased to see the time had come. “What she saw there finally was something that made her sing and dance the whole day long”. Babettes youth kept her so impatient that when she saw the figs she was filled with joy.
When Babette showed the ripen figs to Maman-Nainaine she was shock because she believed that it was very soon for them. "Ah," said Maman-Nainaine, arching her eyebrows, "how early the figs have