Kate Chopin

Kate Chopin was an incredibly talented writer. Kate wrote about real feelings and real issues. Few of the topics that she wrote about were spoken of. Kate Chopin became one of the best known and most controversial writers of the 19th century. She stood up for women, their rights and other real issues, no matter what the cost was to her reputation.

Kate Chopin was born Katherine O'Flaherty, on February 8, 1851, in St. Louis Missouri. She was raised by women for most of her childhood. Kate’s family included her widowed mother, her widowed grandmother and her widowed great-grandmother.

Later on in life, Kate grew up, and married a man named Oscar Chopin. She had children and was widowed by her husband who died of malaria. It was not until the death of her husband, that she moved back to her birth place of St. Louis, and began to write. By the time she had started to write, Kate had already experienced many maturing life situations. Kate Chopin wrote about real life and real life situations. Kate foreshadowed future events in her writings.

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(Classic Literature)

For a long time women have been considered the inferior sex, and therefore, expected to be subservient to men. Her poems, short stories, and novels allowed her not only to assert her beliefs for herself, but also to question the ideas of individuality and autonomy during the turn of the century. Unlike many of the feminist writers of her time who were mainly interested in improving the social conditions of women, she looked for an understanding of personal freedom that questioned conventional demands of both men and women. She almost stopped her writing entirely because of all the reactions to her work. Mallard, Chopin’s writing career began once her husband died. (Women Writers Internet) Kate Chopin is now recognized as one of the most important American women novelists. (Academic Library)

Louise Mallard and Kate Chopin’s lives were very similar. Some of the negative criticism was for her deep emotional description of a woman’s coming independence and sensuality. She also wrote about independence in a woman and she encouraged women not to become a useless wife. She also had an interest in passion and infidelity. Kate expressed her opinion of liberty and freedom for women.

In addition, Kate wrote "The Awakening", in which she expresses her interest in passion, sexuality and marriage. She could not make decisions, share her opinion, or exhibit her talents. Research)

Throughout Kate Chopin’s life she actively searched for female spiritual emancipation, which she found and expressed in her writing.

Approximate Word count = 728
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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