The novel opens on the Grand Isle, a summer retreat for the wealthy French Creoles of New Orleans. Leonce Pontellier, a wealthy New Orleans business man of forty years of age, reads his newspaper. Meanwhile, Mrs. Lebrun's parrot repeats phrases in English and French and her mockingbird sings in "fluty notes." Leonce retreats to his own cottage to escape the birds' noisy chatter. The cottages are a scene of bustling Sunday activity. A lady in black walks back and forth in front of the cottages with her rosary beads in hand. Mr. Pontellier's fou ....