About
Kate Chopin, born Katherine O'Flaherty in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1850, was an American writer. After marrying Oscar Chopin in 1870, she moved to New Orleans and later to a plantation in Louisiana. Widowed in 1882, she returned to St. Louis and began writing. She published regionalist short stories (Bayou Folk, 1894) and novels. Her major work, The Awakening (1899), which explores female emancipation, was deemed immoral at the time and fell into obscurity. Rediscovered in the 1960s-1970s, she is now recognized as a pioneer of American feminist literature.
* 1850-02-08 — † 1904-08-22
Major works
- At Fault (1890)novel
- Bayou Folk (1894)short story collection
- A Night in Acadie (1897)short story collection
- The Awakening (1899)novel
Key milestones
- 1882Death of her husband Oscar Chopin, leaving her with six children and debts.
- 1899Publication of The Awakening, condemned for its allegedly immoral content.
- 1969Rediscovery through Per Seyersted's critical biography.
Themes
Female emancipationDesire and sexualityLouisiana lifeSocial constraintsIdentity and independence
Sources: britannica.com · oxfordreference.com · catdir.loc.gov