Kate Chopin

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Kate Chopin The Awakening
1850 - 1904
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Chopin's major work was published in 1889. -
well-established as a national writer - it was
reviewed by critics who universally condemned it
as "shocking" and immoral
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PLOT
It is the story of a young womans gradual
awakening. - sexuality - individual "being" -
longing for an independence - suicide
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She was very important as one of the earliest
examples of modernism American Literature.
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• Romantic elements The Awakening
• the exotic locale
• use of color
• heavy emphasis on nature
• romantic theme individuality and freedom
• rebellion against society and death

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• Edna - two extremes in life
• completely alone romanticism
• frequent inner thoughts
• memories of childhood
• the personified sea (nature)
• the mysterious woman in black
• the romantic music, dinner party
• desire to express herself

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• Naturalism The Awakening
• Edna as hostage to her biology
• She is female (children wife)
• society dictates behavior
• "no attempt to suppress her impulses"
• welfare of her
• children

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• Local Color The Awakening
• characterizations of the people
• the descriptions of places
• fundamental meaning of the story
• Creole society and its social mores
• women making choices that create a life

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STYLE Chopin interested in how one tells the
story as the story itself.
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Perspective multiple Point of view Imagery
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• Appearance in reality
• seen in the New Orleans experience
• things are not always what they seem
• things are different to different players.

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• All of these formed her style
• theme based
• her stories were very short
• she was experimenting with style

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• Womens Rights
• - Chopin was not a feminist nor
• a suffragist
• took women extremely seriously
• due to her background (mother )

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• lack of interest in feminism and
• suffrage she simply had a different
• understanding of freedom.
• - Freedom character of living your life
• within the constraints that the world
• makes or your God offers you,
• because all of us do live within constraints.

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• Religion
• influence of Catholicism
• she promoted the idea that every
• human person could be excellent
• and valuable

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• Social Classes
• Black v. White
• Rich v. Poor
• Male v. Female
• comfortable with difference
• part of life

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• Theme
• No true beauty without complexity or
• conflict
• - tragedy and complexity are needed

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Story information Creole is a white person
descended from the French or Spanish settlers
of Louisiana and the Gulf States and preserving
their characteristic speech and culture. . . .
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• Three groups
• whites - highest class
• free Blacks - emancipated slaves
• middle class
• 3) slaves household property
• the lowest class
• They had a complex social organization
• which included foreign groups Germans,
• Irish, and Spaniards.

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• Culture
• father was dominant
• his word was law
• not always a faithful spouse
• ruled like a king
• dutiful in the sense he went places
• with his wife

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• Young men
• given their own quarters
• entertainment
• had mistresses
• (Black or mulatto)
• couldnt marry them
• accepted custom
• marriages business
• wives passive and innocent lovers

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• Young Women
• needed a dowry
• marry before 25 years old
• coming out event (theater)
• beginning search for a husband

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• Other customs
• weddings on Mon. or Tues.
• bouquet relatives grave
• the family signed the register
• brides home for the banquet
• bride cuts the cake (pieces to single girls)
• cake put under their pillows
• bride and groom spent their honeymoon
• in her parents house (bedroom 5)

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• Three kinds of French
• traditional French
• Acadian
• Black Creole
• Louisiana natives francophone
• French-speaking