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The Locket: Short Stories
In The Locket, a confederate soldier declines his fellow soldiers’ request to reveal the contents of the locket around his neck. The locket, which holds pictures of his fiancée’s parents and the date of their wedding is found on the battlefield after a battle.
Later, the soldier’s fiancée visits the battlefield with the soldier’s father, both shaken with grief. The soldier’s father asks his son’s fiancée to remove her veil, as it contrasts too sharply with the beautiful day and adds that on such a day miracles seem ready to happen.
Returning home, something extraordinary happens to make her believe he may be right.
Later, the soldier’s fiancée visits the battlefield with the soldier’s father, both shaken with grief. The soldier’s father asks his son’s fiancée to remove her veil, as it contrasts too sharply with the beautiful day and adds that on such a day miracles seem ready to happen.
Returning home, something extraordinary happens to make her believe he may be right.
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First published January 1, 1894
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About the author
Kate Chopin
824 books1,932 followersKate Chopin was an American author whose fiction grew out of the complex cultures and contradictions of Louisiana life, and she gradually became one of the most distinctive voices in nineteenth century literature. Raised in a household shaped by strong women of French and Irish heritage, she developed an early love for books and storytelling, and that immersion in language later shaped the quiet precision of her prose. After marrying and moving to New Orleans, then later to the small community of Cloutierville, she absorbed the rhythms, customs, and tensions of Creole and Cajun society, finding in its people the material that would feed both her sympathy and her sharp observational eye. When personal loss left her searching for direction, she began writing with the encouragement of a family friend, discovering not only a therapeutic outlet but a genuine vocation. Within a few years, her stories appeared in major magazines such as The Atlantic Monthly, Vogue, and The Century, where readers encountered her local-color sketches, her portrayals of women navigating desire and constraint, and her nuanced depictions of life in the American South. She published two story collections, Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie, introducing characters whose emotional lives were depicted with unusual honesty. Her short fiction often explored subjects others avoided, including interracial relationships, female autonomy, and the quiet but powerful inner conflicts of everyday people. That same unflinching quality shaped The Awakening, the novel that would later become her most celebrated work. At the time of its publication, however, its frank treatment of a married woman’s emotional and sensual awakening unsettled many critics, who judged it harshly, yet Chopin continued to write stories that revealed her commitment to portraying women as fully human, with desires and ambitions that stretched beyond the confines of convention. She admired the psychological clarity of Guy de Maupassant, but she pushed beyond his influence to craft a voice that was unmistakably her own, direct yet lyrical, and deeply attuned to the inner lives of her characters. Though some of her contemporaries viewed her themes as daring or even improper, others recognized her narrative skill, and within a decade of her passing she was already being described as a writer of remarkable talent. Her rediscovery in the twentieth century led readers to appreciate how modern her concerns truly were: the struggle for selfhood, the tension between social expectations and private longing, and the resilience of women seeking lives that felt authentically theirs. Today, her stories and novels are widely read, admired for their clarity, emotional intelligence, and the boldness with which they illuminate the complexities of human experience.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 29, 2022
At six pages, this is one of the longest Kate Chopin stories that I've read!
Chopin is very fond of surprise endings, and knowing that makes it easier to anticipate the twist which is bound to appear. Here, too, the surprise is rather heavily and clumsily foreshadowed — and that also serves to defuse the power of the "surprise" twist.
However, I am enjoying these savoury little morsels, and remain delighted to have recently discovered this most interesting author.
Chopin is very fond of surprise endings, and knowing that makes it easier to anticipate the twist which is bound to appear. Here, too, the surprise is rather heavily and clumsily foreshadowed — and that also serves to defuse the power of the "surprise" twist.
However, I am enjoying these savoury little morsels, and remain delighted to have recently discovered this most interesting author.
April 11, 2022
The Locket is a short story by Kate Chopin. It is told in two parts. The first is about Edmond who is fighting in the civil war. He has a locket given to him by his love, Octavie. Some of the men joke that it is his lucky charm, a Catholic talisman that keeps him safe. He knows it just represents the love he and Octavie share. There is a major battle and he loses his locket. Part 2 is about Octavie, who is in mourning after learning that Edmond died in the battle. The locket has been returned to her. His father wants her to move on but she is struggling to do so. The twist ending Chopin loves to utilize has Edmond return to Octavie. A young soldier stole the locket because of his fear of dying. It was he who had died and Edmond survived. While not my favorite story of Chopin’s, it has a nice twist at the end. The story didn’t have her signature punch. It felt sad but not as shocking as some of her other stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2021
"The Locket is Chopin's poignant Civil War story. Modern readers may be tempted to misread the word 'sward' as 'sword,' but sward is the word that Chopin used, referring to 'the grassy surface of land; that part of the soil filled with the roots of grass; turf.' " https://americanliterature.com/author...
"In writing The Locket, Chopin refers to dual motifs of love and war that serve to connect the two vignettes that comprise the structure of the story. Part I's atmosphere of horror and destruction in the war contrasts easily with the springtime background of Part II, but they are intimately connected because of the tie between Edmond and Octavie. Edmond feels the connection in Part I from his side, and Octavie feels it in Part II from hers. Edmond, who lives in a drab encampment and who fights in the chaos of an unexpected battle, nevertheless retains a memory of Octavie's love, and although Octavie lives in a beautiful world of renewal and growth far away from the war, she is dressed in black mourning clothes, held back by the locket and its reminder of Edmond's death. . . . As for the wise bird, Chopin appears to be asking us to reexamine human war from an outsider's perspective; if it did not have such horrific results, it would seem like a game. The bird's life will be about the same regardless of which side wins." https://www.gradesaver.com/kate-chopi...
"In writing The Locket, Chopin refers to dual motifs of love and war that serve to connect the two vignettes that comprise the structure of the story. Part I's atmosphere of horror and destruction in the war contrasts easily with the springtime background of Part II, but they are intimately connected because of the tie between Edmond and Octavie. Edmond feels the connection in Part I from his side, and Octavie feels it in Part II from hers. Edmond, who lives in a drab encampment and who fights in the chaos of an unexpected battle, nevertheless retains a memory of Octavie's love, and although Octavie lives in a beautiful world of renewal and growth far away from the war, she is dressed in black mourning clothes, held back by the locket and its reminder of Edmond's death. . . . As for the wise bird, Chopin appears to be asking us to reexamine human war from an outsider's perspective; if it did not have such horrific results, it would seem like a game. The bird's life will be about the same regardless of which side wins." https://www.gradesaver.com/kate-chopi...
March 14, 2018
Over dramatic to say the least. However, it did have a nice twist at the end.
July 11, 2020
The depiction of war and the suffering of women (and anyone left behind or parted by loved ones) is obvious and heartfelt in the short story and wars effect is prominent. The mental strain of war is supported by symbolism such as the birds in the stories and of course the locket itself. Although, it is not the most known short story of Kate Chopin it is the only one which depicts a battle scene. She encapsulates the sadness of people who lost beloved people during the war. However, the short story does have a happy ending. Which led me to wonder if the romantic twist undermines the horror of war the story tried to portray. Yet, I think the romantic twist does not take away from the sadness and horror especially when the reader realizes why the mistaken identity occured. A fellow brother in arms stealing the locket because he believed it to be a protective charm and ending up dead emphasises the horror of war fear and desperation soldiers feel. The romantic ending therefore provides the reader with a bit of happiness. I guess it is a way of coping with horrors of war for the writer/reader and a relief for a more faint hearted reader that seeks comfort and hope at the end of a story to balance out the sadness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2015
This is a nice sweet, simple story, and I've arranged my thoughts into a haiku:
"Loss comes easier
When faith is misplaced
And fantasies fly."
"Loss comes easier
When faith is misplaced
And fantasies fly."
October 27, 2015
A short, simple and lovely story.
August 24, 2023
2.75 stars.
Listened to this with an audiobook while cleaning up my island in animal crossing...
This one was kinda sad not gonna lie. If it had been longer, it probably would have made me cry.
Listened to this with an audiobook while cleaning up my island in animal crossing...
This one was kinda sad not gonna lie. If it had been longer, it probably would have made me cry.
June 13, 2023
i really don’t care about a confederate soldier and his lover
the plot twist at the end wasn’t even plot twisting it was so obvious
the descriptions of war and love was alright but whatever if you’re gonna read a chopin story this one is skippable
i did like the little discussion had about loss of childhood fascination and joy that comes from dealing with grief
the plot twist at the end wasn’t even plot twisting it was so obvious
the descriptions of war and love was alright but whatever if you’re gonna read a chopin story this one is skippable
i did like the little discussion had about loss of childhood fascination and joy that comes from dealing with grief
June 8, 2014
Four confederate soldiers are talking over the fire while waiting for orders. They are asking about Edmond's locket, and a soldier named Nick says that is is a Catholic token to protect Edmond. The latter agrees because it has protected him all this time, although it is a locket given by his lover Octavie. It contains a picture of her parents and the date they were married.
When Edmond is resting, he dreamt of Octavie and is ashamed that she will see him in such a poor condition. He also dreamt of a serpent strangling him. He woke up because of Nick's yelling and got lost in the commotion.
A clergyman and a boy walked into the aftermath of the battle trying to save the souls of the people who may still be alive. They saw a soldier with a locket around his neck. The clergyman tore the locket away from the soldier and sent it with a letter to whoever was closest to the latter.
Octavie received the locket and the letter from the clergyman and was convinced that she will spend her whole life mourning because of her dead lover.
Chopin is very excellent with plot twists. It is made with great subtlety that I have to reread the story to figure out who
Effects of the civil war were also discussed. The soldiers who have fought in the battle are boys who are still at their prime. They haven't done something very important with their lives but they are risking it for the war. They leave their loved ones behind with no certainty that they are going back. It is not only hard for them, but also hard for those they are leaving, described by Octavie when she was mourning.
When Edmond is resting, he dreamt of Octavie and is ashamed that she will see him in such a poor condition. He also dreamt of a serpent strangling him. He woke up because of Nick's yelling and got lost in the commotion.
A clergyman and a boy walked into the aftermath of the battle trying to save the souls of the people who may still be alive. They saw a soldier with a locket around his neck. The clergyman tore the locket away from the soldier and sent it with a letter to whoever was closest to the latter.
Octavie received the locket and the letter from the clergyman and was convinced that she will spend her whole life mourning because of her dead lover.
Chopin is very excellent with plot twists. It is made with great subtlety that I have to reread the story to figure out who
Effects of the civil war were also discussed. The soldiers who have fought in the battle are boys who are still at their prime. They haven't done something very important with their lives but they are risking it for the war. They leave their loved ones behind with no certainty that they are going back. It is not only hard for them, but also hard for those they are leaving, described by Octavie when she was mourning.
October 30, 2011
A Confederate soldier carries a locket around his neck.
January 28, 2016
Fantastic short story about the loss of a beloved soldier and the time he spent wearing his love's most precious earthly possession. Great story.
November 27, 2025
I found The Locket quietly haunting — Chopin uses the modest object of a locket to weave together love and war, memory and hope, in a way that lingers beyond the final lines. The story’s tension between the desolation of a battlefield and the fragile promise of love creates a powerful contrast: the locket becomes a symbol not only of devotion, but of longing and the desperate wish for safety — a sense that war renders all that is precious terribly vulnerable. Chopin’s decision to shift the reader’s perspective from the soldier to his lover deepens the emotional weight, making us feel acutely the pain of separation, loss, and the uncertain hold of trust on what remains. The mood evolves from fearful anxiety to a subtle hope, such that even in the grimness the story offers a bittersweet reflection on what it means to survive—not only physically, but emotionally. In that, The Locket is less about heroism or grand gestures and more about the fragile human bonds that endure, reminding us that sometimes love’s endurance is the most profound resistance.
December 31, 2017
Think I would've liked this short story if it was a little longer. It feels underdone somehow.
Still, not a bad tale, and I did like the brief shift in perspective from the soldiers to a watching blackbird.
Still, not a bad tale, and I did like the brief shift in perspective from the soldiers to a watching blackbird.
October 24, 2024
Mixed messaging between the absurdity of war and the real pain it brings to those in love. Maybe the first work of Chopin's I've read that isn't transparently feminist in its messaging, but the anti-war commentary strikes a similar chord nonetheless.
January 21, 2021
Very short and will probably forget about it.. but I'm giving it credit for the plot twist and eloquent style. It's the kind of story you'd read to pass time I suppose. Wouldn't recommend.
February 17, 2021
It's a story about two lovers, the boy is a soldier in the US civil war and the girl has given him her most valuable possession.
It's emotional and very well written.
It's emotional and very well written.
May 26, 2021
The stars are just for the plot twist at the end.
December 12, 2023
plot twist was the only part of this that didn’t make me yawn!!
March 15, 2025
very boring but maybe that's because it was for an english assignment
it still got 2 stars cause it has The Nightingale vibes
it still got 2 stars cause it has The Nightingale vibes
August 27, 2015
Inspiring story !!
"Some people are born with a vital and responsive energy. It not only enables them to keep abreast of the times; it qualifies them to furnish in their own personality a good bit of the motive power to the mad pace. They are fortunate beings. They do not need to apprehend the significance of things. They do not grow weary nor miss step, nor do they fall out of rank and sink by the wayside to be left contemplating the moving procession.
Ah! that moving procession that has left me by the road-side! Its fantastic colors are more brilliant and beautiful than the sun on the undulating waters. What matter if souls and bodies are failing beneath the feet of the ever-pressing multitude! It moves with the majestic rhythm of the spheres. Its discordant clashes sweep upward in one harmonious tone that blends with the music of other worlds--to complete God's orchestra.
It is greater than the stars--that moving procession of human energy; greater than the palpitating earth and the things growing thereon. Oh! I could weep at being left by the wayside; left with the grass and the clouds and a few dumb animals. True, I feel at home in the society of these symbols of life's immutability. In the procession I should feel the crushing feet, the clashing discords, the ruthless hands and stifling breath. I could not hear the rhythm of the march.
Salve! ye dumb hearts. Let us be still and wait by the roadside."
"Some people are born with a vital and responsive energy. It not only enables them to keep abreast of the times; it qualifies them to furnish in their own personality a good bit of the motive power to the mad pace. They are fortunate beings. They do not need to apprehend the significance of things. They do not grow weary nor miss step, nor do they fall out of rank and sink by the wayside to be left contemplating the moving procession.
Ah! that moving procession that has left me by the road-side! Its fantastic colors are more brilliant and beautiful than the sun on the undulating waters. What matter if souls and bodies are failing beneath the feet of the ever-pressing multitude! It moves with the majestic rhythm of the spheres. Its discordant clashes sweep upward in one harmonious tone that blends with the music of other worlds--to complete God's orchestra.
It is greater than the stars--that moving procession of human energy; greater than the palpitating earth and the things growing thereon. Oh! I could weep at being left by the wayside; left with the grass and the clouds and a few dumb animals. True, I feel at home in the society of these symbols of life's immutability. In the procession I should feel the crushing feet, the clashing discords, the ruthless hands and stifling breath. I could not hear the rhythm of the march.
Salve! ye dumb hearts. Let us be still and wait by the roadside."
March 27, 2012
A short story about war, love lost, and love found. This story can often be found online, or in collections of Kate Chopin stories such as The Awakening and Selected Stories
March 16, 2014
A normal fairy-tale love story except that in the end you understand the author tricked you somewhere. A soldier and his beloved who gifts him a locket which is invaluable to her. The story revolves around the locket. It was good,a nice romantic story. But just good,nothing more nothing less.
May 15, 2014
A locket, the horrors of the Civil war and the hardship of those who wait. Love the clarity of Chopin's prose.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews