Kate Chopin (1851–1904)
Author of The Awakening
About the Author
Kate Chopin was born Katherine O'Flaherty in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 8, 1851. Although she was brought up in a wealthy and socially elite Catholic family, Chopin's childhood was marred by tragedies. Her father was killed in a train accident when Chopin was just four years old, and in the show more following years she also lost her older brother, great-grandmother, and half-brother. In 1870, at the age of 19, she married Oscar Chopin, the son of a wealthy cotton-growing family in Louisiana. The couple had seven children together, five boys and two girls, before Oscar died of swamp fever in 1883. The following year, Chopin packed up her family and moved back to St. Louis to be with her mother, who died just a year later. To support herself and her family, Chopin started to write. Her first novel, At Fault, was published in 1890. Her most famous work, The Awakening, inspired by a real-life New Orleans woman who committed adultery, was published in 1899. The book explores the social and psychological consequences of a woman caught in an unhappy marriage in 19th century America, is now considered a classic of the feminist movement and caused such an uproar in the community that Chopin almost entirely gave up writing. Chopin did try her hand at a few short stories, most of which were not even published. Chopin died on August 22, 1904, of a brain hemorrhage, after collapsing at the World's Fair just two days before. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: from Wikipedia
Works by Kate Chopin
Kate Chopin: Complete Novels and Stories: At Fault / Bayou Folk / A Night in Acadie / The Awakening / Uncollected Stories (Library of America) (2002) 361 copies, 3 reviews
Three Classics by American Women: The Awakening; Ethan Frome; O Pioneers! (1990) 29 copies, 1 review
Kate Chopin: Complete Collection of Works with analysis and historical background (Annotated and Illustrated) (Annotated Classics) (2013) 7 copies
Short Fiction 5 copies
A História de uma Hora e Outros Contos (Coleção Folha Inglês Com Clássicos Da Literatura, #24) 4 copies
Lilacs 3 copies
Kate Chopin: The Complete Novels and Stories (The Greatest Writers of All Time Book 22) (2016) 3 copies
At the 'Cadian Ball 3 copies
The Night Came Slowly 2 copies
No title 2 copies
يقظة امرأة 2 copies
EDNA 2 copies
O Beijo 2 copies
“Desiree’s Baby” 1 copy
Mamouche 1 copy
Madame Celestin's Divorce 1 copy
SST 35 - Il risveglio 1 copy
Love on the Bon-Dieu 1 copy
Kate Chopin Collection: The Awakening, At Fault, Bayou Folk, Désirée’s Baby & Other Stories (2020) 1 copy
Miss McEnders 1 copy
Her Letters 1 copy
Doctor Chevalier’s Lie 1 copy
Emancipation. A Life Fable 1 copy
For Marse Chouchoute 1 copy
Juanita 1 copy
La Belle Zoraide 1 copy
En kvinde vågner 1 copy
Charlie; and other stories 1 copy
The Awakening & Other Short Stories: Kate Chopin (Short Stories, Classics, Literature) [Annotated] (2021) 1 copy
“The ‘Cadian Ball” 1 copy
Meias de Seda 1 copy
Chopin, Kate Archive 1 copy
Associated Works
Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (1995) — Contributor, some editions — 1,012 copies, 7 reviews
The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women: The Tradition in English (1985) — Contributor — 936 copies, 2 reviews
American Fantastic Tales : Terror and the Uncanny from Poe to the Pulps (2009) — Contributor — 290 copies, 4 reviews
Daughters of Decadence: Women Writers of the Fin-de-Siècle (1993) — Contributor — 205 copies, 2 reviews
Classic American Short Stories [Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics] (2001) — Contributor — 175 copies, 1 review
The Graphic Canon, Vol. 3: From Heart of Darkness to Hemingway to Infinite Jest (2013) — Contributor — 162 copies, 1 review
The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Volume 2: 1865 to Present (1979) — Contributor, some editions — 136 copies
In the Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe: Classic Tales of Horror, 1816-1914 (2015) — Contributor — 107 copies, 3 reviews
Two Friends and Other 19th-century American Lesbian Stories (1994) — Contributor — 107 copies, 1 review
The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Concise Edition (2003) — Contributor — 73 copies, 1 review
The Signet Classic Book of Contemporary American Short Stories (1985) — Contributor — 47 copies, 1 review
Women in the Trees: U.S. Women's Short Stories About Battering and Resistance, 1839-1994 (1996) — Contributor — 45 copies
Civil War Memories: Nineteen Stories of Battle, Bravery, Love, and Tragedy (2000) — Contributor — 38 copies, 1 review
The Haves and Have Nots: 30 Stories About Money and Class in America (1999) — Contributor — 36 copies
The Strange History of Suzanne LaFleshe and Other Stories of Women and Fatness (2003) — Contributor — 31 copies, 1 review
Classic American women writers: Sarah Orne Jewett, Kate Chopin, Edith Wharton, Willa Cather (1980) — Contributor — 26 copies
"The Man Who Thought Himself a Woman" and Other Queer Nineteenth-Century Short Stories (Q19: The Queer American Nineteenth Century) (2017) — Contributor — 20 copies
Isaac Asimov Presents : The Best Horror and Supernatural of the 19th Century (1983) — Contributor — 19 copies, 1 review
Great Classic Stories II: Eighteen Unabridged Classics (2010) — Contributor, some editions — 17 copies
The Awakening / Cane / The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn / Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (1999) — Contributor — 2 copies
For Want of a Horse: Twenty-Three Tales of Supernatural Stallions, Magical Mares, and Paranormal Ponies (2015) — Contributor — 2 copies, 2 reviews
La nueva mujer: Relatos de escritoras estadounidenses del siglo XIX — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Chopin, Kate
- Legal name
- O'Flaherty, Katherine (birth name)
Chopin, Katherine - Other names
- Chopin, Kate
- Birthdate
- 1851-02-08
- Date of death
- 1904-08-22
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Sacred Heart Academy, St. Louis
- Occupations
- novelist
short story writer - Organizations
- Wednesday Club
- Awards and honors
- St. Louis Walk of Fame
- Short biography
- Katherine O’Flaherty was the daughter of an Irish immigrant father and a French-Creole mother. She was educated at the St. Louis Sacred Heart Academy and then made a debut into Southern society. In 1870, she married Oscar Chopin, a cotton trader from Louisiana, and the couple had six children. Widowed in 1882, and needing to support herself and her young children, Kate Chopin began to write sketches of her former plantation life, which appeared in periodicals such as Bayou Folk. These received immediate acclaim, as did her first novel At Fault (1890). Kate Chopin published two novels and about 100 short stories in the 1890s. Most of her fiction was set in Louisiana and her best-known work focuses on the lives of sensitive, intelligent women. Her short stories were most popular in her own day and appeared in some of America's most prestigious magazines. After her death her work was temporarily forgotten, but then in the 1920s her short stories began to appear in anthologies, and the public and literary scholars again began to take notice of her.
- Cause of death
- brain hemorrhage
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Places of residence
- St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Grand Coteau, Louisiana, USA
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, USA - Place of death
- St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Burial location
- Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
A re-read of a classic I first encountered in college 30+ years ago, then used in the classroom 25 years ago. It still holds up as an elegantly written, yet ground-breaking story about a woman discovering her autonomy and her self. Written in 1899, the book's theme was scandalous - how dare a woman challenge the societal expectations proscribed for her in marriage and motherhood. But this is exactly what Edna Pontellier does as she strikes out on her own in her 'pigeon house,' to pursue art show more and her own path. She is neither a mother-woman like Mme Ratignole, nor a dedicated artist like Mlle Reisz and this liminal space allows her to define herself, but also to realize that definition has no place in the world. Set in a resort in Louisiana on the Gulf, and then in New Orleans, the southern location labeled Chopin as a regional writer, and she does capture local custom, language (a couple squirmy terms that would no longer be used), and sensibilities. Edna's awakening begins at the seaside resort when she learns to swim and also when she captures the devoted attention of Robert LeBrun, a young man who knows the social boundaries in Creole society. Though she is 28, Edna is both 'old' in her social position, with two young boys, and 'young' in the transformation taking place within as she discovers her sensuality, her talent, and her purpose. Best quote: "The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. Ut us a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth." This Norton edition with critical analysis and ancillary materials (such as Chopin's 'retraction' after the novel is skewered by critics and she is essentially blacklisted) was a gem. show less
Kate Chopin: Complete Novels and Stories: At Fault / Bayou Folk / A Night in Acadie / The Awakening / Uncollected Stories (Library of America) by Kate Chopin
THE AWAKENING: (Review written in 2007)
Excellent portrait of a tormented soul--the woman who "had everything" but cared little for either material things or the people she ought to have loved---husband, father, children, friends. Edna Pontellier was never happy or satisfied, either in her role as mother, or wife, or artist,---not even the love that awakened her passions gave her any truly joyous moments. This is tricky stuff--I'm inclined to want to shake such characters out of their show more "ennui", urge them to get a life, and toss their stories aside if they won't. But Edna roused my sympathies. She wasn't just your typical 19th century female shackled by societal restraints and looking for creative or emotional outlets. This woman defied convention repeatedly, and found very little satisfaction in it. She suffered no consequences that she did not impose on herself. She did as she pleased, but it gave her little pleasure. I came to suspect that she was suffering from true depressive episodes, which makes the story even more remarkable for its time. I read this from the Library of America collection of Chopin's novels and short stories. It left me eager to read the rest of her work. show less
Excellent portrait of a tormented soul--the woman who "had everything" but cared little for either material things or the people she ought to have loved---husband, father, children, friends. Edna Pontellier was never happy or satisfied, either in her role as mother, or wife, or artist,---not even the love that awakened her passions gave her any truly joyous moments. This is tricky stuff--I'm inclined to want to shake such characters out of their show more "ennui", urge them to get a life, and toss their stories aside if they won't. But Edna roused my sympathies. She wasn't just your typical 19th century female shackled by societal restraints and looking for creative or emotional outlets. This woman defied convention repeatedly, and found very little satisfaction in it. She suffered no consequences that she did not impose on herself. She did as she pleased, but it gave her little pleasure. I came to suspect that she was suffering from true depressive episodes, which makes the story even more remarkable for its time. I read this from the Library of America collection of Chopin's novels and short stories. It left me eager to read the rest of her work. show less
Edna Pontellier “awakens” during another summer spent with her husband and children on Grande Isle, LA. The sultry nights, the hypnotic lapping of the waves on the beach, the intoxicating scents and the attentions of one person in particular all combine to bring strength to Edna’s inner self. Slowly, she comes to feel that she has stifled the person inside her for her husband, her family and society. She is unable to fully explain what is happening to her, but she knows that she can no show more longer be untrue to herself.
I really enjoyed this novella. I could not help but think about Edith Wharton’s House of Mirth; I see so many parallels between Lily Bart and Edna. The time frame is similar (late 1890s), as is the inner turmoil of our heroine as she tries to make decisions about her life. While Edna is older than Lily, and has already achieved a measure of success in society (i.e. she has married well, has two charming children and a lovely home), she, like Lily, longs for something that will result in her removal from the society she knows.
The novella unfolds slowly, with limited dialogue, but a vivid sense of place. There is languorousness about the writing that mimics the languor felt on a hot and humid summer day on Grand Isle. Two scenes provide a perfect contrast and illustrate Edna’s awakening spirit. In one she sits with her husband on the veranda all night with scarcely a word between them and a palpable distance. In the other she spends an afternoon napping, while her friend Robert sits outside under a tree waiting; and despite the physical distance and lack of personal contact portrayed there is a palpable intimacy between them.
Without expressing her feelings exactly, the novel gave me insight into how Edna must have felt – excited by this new phase of her life, afraid to reveal how much it means to her, unsure she’s chosen wisely, full of regret, and finally accepting. show less
I really enjoyed this novella. I could not help but think about Edith Wharton’s House of Mirth; I see so many parallels between Lily Bart and Edna. The time frame is similar (late 1890s), as is the inner turmoil of our heroine as she tries to make decisions about her life. While Edna is older than Lily, and has already achieved a measure of success in society (i.e. she has married well, has two charming children and a lovely home), she, like Lily, longs for something that will result in her removal from the society she knows.
The novella unfolds slowly, with limited dialogue, but a vivid sense of place. There is languorousness about the writing that mimics the languor felt on a hot and humid summer day on Grand Isle. Two scenes provide a perfect contrast and illustrate Edna’s awakening spirit. In one she sits with her husband on the veranda all night with scarcely a word between them and a palpable distance. In the other she spends an afternoon napping, while her friend Robert sits outside under a tree waiting; and despite the physical distance and lack of personal contact portrayed there is a palpable intimacy between them.
Without expressing her feelings exactly, the novel gave me insight into how Edna must have felt – excited by this new phase of her life, afraid to reveal how much it means to her, unsure she’s chosen wisely, full of regret, and finally accepting. show less
1) I'm not a fan of the approach that Edna Pontellier takes to her life and her sense of freedom
2) However, she fills her role with dedication to her perceptions, regardless of what I may think of them. Chopin goes all out with her as a character, regardless of the direction she is going in.
3) I like Chopin's prose and descriptions of the setting and various details
4) I don't have to agree with the character and her choices, to get something positive out of this book
5) I often strongly hate show more infidelity plots, and nothing about this novel makes it morally okay, but in a lot of regards, it doesn't seem to be trying to, from my perspective. In some ways, doing so seems to create even more difficulty in Edna's life, as well as more confusion and despondency for her
6) You can take a lot of different perspectives with this work, its setting and its characters, and that makes it interesting to me show less
2) However, she fills her role with dedication to her perceptions, regardless of what I may think of them. Chopin goes all out with her as a character, regardless of the direction she is going in.
3) I like Chopin's prose and descriptions of the setting and various details
4) I don't have to agree with the character and her choices, to get something positive out of this book
5) I often strongly hate show more infidelity plots, and nothing about this novel makes it morally okay, but in a lot of regards, it doesn't seem to be trying to, from my perspective. In some ways, doing so seems to create even more difficulty in Edna's life, as well as more confusion and despondency for her
6) You can take a lot of different perspectives with this work, its setting and its characters, and that makes it interesting to me show less
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