Brantain

Brantain is an important character in the short story “The Kiss” by Kate Chopin. There is little information regarding his outer characterization, as we only see him through Nathalie’s eyes. According to her, he is “insignificant and unattractive” (l. 15) and “enormously rich” (l. 15). 

The beginning of the story hints that Brantain is a shy man. The room where he and Nathalie talk to each other is poorly lit and Brantain chooses to sit in the shadows (l. 4). His choice hints at his shyness, but also at his passion for Nathalie: “The obscurity lent him courage to keep his eyes fastened as ardently as he liked upon the girl who sat in the firelight” (ll. 4-6). 

Brantain is in love with Nathalie, which makes him naive: “she knew that he loved her – a frank, blustering fellow without ...