An Analysis of Kate Chopin And Her Works

“Free! Body and soul free!” Those are the great words written by the great American author, Kate Chopin in “The Story Of An Hour” in 1894. Her real life stories were her biggest influences in her literature and her unique themes. Perhaps one of her most famous works was her first novel, The Awakening. Some of her other works include “The Storm,” “Lilacs,” Madame Celestine’s Divorce,” and “Desiree’s Baby.” What is Chopin’s writing style? What traits are recognizable in all of her stories including the ones mentioned above? More importantly, was feminism a valuable subject in her themes and her life or was she just a normal woman who believed in equality? The answers to these and more questions lie ahead so just sit back and enjoy the ride. To understand Kate Chopin’s writing style, you must first understand her life. She was born Katherine O’Flaherty in 1850 to an Irish and French family In St. Louis, Missouri. Her grandmother and great-grandmother lived with them and were great influences in her life and later in her writing. Chopin learned French and female endurance from living in a house full of women. Her great-grandmother also told her stories about her own grandmother, who ran a

She attended school the Sacred Heart Academy. Do I agree with this Partly, it seems to be that through this story, Chopin is saying a lot about her religion and her beliefs. "" The Storm"tms" main character is Calixta, a fragile woman who is married, but seeks the embrace of another man, Alcee (this name is also used as a different character in The Awakening, he was Edna"tms lover-do you suppose that is just a coincidence). Jacqueline Olson Padgett interprets "Lilacs" as something she calls the "Virgin Mary Myth. For instance, she discusses in "Desiree"tms Baby" that when Armand came into the role of owner of the plantation, the blacks were unhappy; but they were fine when his father was still alive because he treated them like human beings. Of all her controversial issues, slavery was not the main focus of her writing. Desiree leaves Armand with the belief that some of her biological ancestors were African American. The background of her Catholicism and her views about it can be interpreted through "Lilacs" main character, Madame Adrienne Farival. When she married Oscar Chopin at the age of twenty, the two took a three-month-long honeymoon in Europe where she began writing a journal. (A Re-Awakening)Perhaps they are right, there is no proof that she was fighting for women"tms rights. " As a toddler, Desiree was abandoned and found by a nice couple by the name of the Valmondes. In conclusion, Chopin did not write in a first-person point of view. Through this story you can plainly see that Chopin may have supported slavery, but not for racial reasons. One of the Stories that I have actually read by Chopin that uses this feature is "Desiree"tms Baby. " The Awakening is not her only controversial piece of writing; her theme of adultery is present in my next example, "The Storm.