KATE CHOPIN

BIOGRAPHY

K

ate Chopin, born Katherine O'Flaherty (February 8, 1850 — August 22, 1904),

was a U.S. author of short stories and novels. She is now considered by some to

have been a forerunner of the feminist authors of the 20th century of Southern

and/or Catholic background, such as Zelda Fitzgerald.

H

er major works were two short story collections, Bayou Folk (1894) and A

Night in Acadie (1897). Her important short stories included "Désirée’s

Baby" (1893), "The Story of an Hour" (1894), "The Storm"(1898)

T

he people in her stories are usually inhabitants of Louisiana.

LITERARY THEMES

S

he analyzed late 19th-century American society.

H

er short stories incorporated her unusual portrayals of women as their

own individuals with wants and needs.

C

hopin's writing style was influenced by her admiration of Guy de

Maupassant. She invested substantial concentration and emphasis on

women's lives and their continual struggles to create an identity of

their own within the Southern society of the late nineteenth century.

"THE STORY OF AN HOUR"

"She knew that she would weep again when she saw the

kind, tender hands folded in death (epithet); the face that

had never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and

dead (epithet and gradation). But she saw beyond that bitter

moment a long procession of years to come (metaphor) that

would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread

her arms out to them in welcome (metaphor)".

LITERARY THEMES

N

ot many writers during the mid- to late 19th century were bold

enough to address subjects that Chopin willingly took on.

T

hrough her stories, Kate Chopin wrote her autobiography and

documented her surroundings. Chopin took strong interest in her

surroundings and put many of her observations to words. Jane Le

Marquand saw Chopin's writings as a new feminist voice, while

other intellectuals recognize it as the voice of an individual who

happens to be a woman.

EMERGENCE OF A FEMINIST VOICE

K

ate was raised by her mother, grandmother and

great-grandmother - all of whom were intelligent and

strong women, who had themselves, at one point,

run family businesses and raised children on their

own. No doubt this influence supported Chopin's

growth as an independent and self-sufficient woman.

"DÉSIRÉE'S BABY"

T

his short story focuses on Kate Chopin's experience with the

Creoles of [of color] Louisiana, where the idea of slavery and

the atmosphere of plantation life were a reality. The issue of

racism that the story brings up was an indispensable truth in

19th century America; the dark reality of racism is on full,

raw display in this story because Chopin was not afraid to

address such issues that were often suppressed and

intentionally ignored in order to avoid bitter actuality.

LIST OF THE SHORT STORIES

"Bayou Folk" "A Night in Acadie" "At the Cadian Ball" (1892) "Désirée’s Baby" (1893) "The Story of an Hour"

(1894) "The Storm" (1898) "A Pair of Silk Stockings" "The Locket" "Athenaise" "Lilacs"

"The Unexpected" "The Kiss" "Beyond the Bayou" "Beauty of the Baby" "A No-Account Creole" "Fedora" "Regret" "Madame Célestin's Divorce" At Fault (1890) Nixon Jones

Printing Co, St. Louis The Awakening (1899) H.S. Stone,

Chicago

SHORT STORIES

A

ll Kate Chopin’s stories - colorful in description and

bold in ideas - not only give the reader an insight

into the region's customs and social structures but

also offer a clear idea of the author's beliefs about

individuality.

CONCLUSIONC

hopin, a regionalist writer of the Realism movement, typically set her work in

the South (Louisiana specifically). Using vivid description, her works capture

the local habits, language and characters that make the area unique and

real. Interestingly enough, some would say that Chopin's writing style is not

what made the biggest impact on the 19th century literary world. Rather, it was

her depiction of thoughtful women, searching for a purpose beyond the

confines of married life and beyond the expectations of the family that

made her work remarkable. While her 19th century American audiences found

her ideas direct and unsettling, Chopin has gained an identity in the decades

since as a brave writer who explored themes like marriage, sexuality and

identity in her work.