Kate Chopin

&

The Awakening

1850 - 1904

Chopin's major work was published in 1889.- well-established as a national writer- it was reviewed by criticswho universally condemned it as "shocking" and immoral

It is the story of a young woman’s gradual awakening.

- sexuality- individual "being" - longing for an independence- suicide

PLOT

She was very important as one of the earliest examples of modernism American Literature.

Romantic elements & The Awakening

- the exotic locale- use of color- heavy emphasis on nature- romantic theme: individuality and freedom- rebellion against society and death

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

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

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

STYLE:

Chopin interested in how one tells the story as the story itself.

Perspective – multiple

Point of view

Imagery

Appearance in reality:

- seen in the New Orleans experience- things are not always what they seem - things are different to different players.

All of these formed her style

- theme based- her stories were very short- she was experimenting with style

Women’s Rights:

- Chopin: was not your typical feminist nor a suffragist- took women extremely seriously- due to her background (mother …)-

- 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.”

Social Classes:

- Black v. White- Rich v. Poor- Male v. Female- comfortable with difference- part of life

Theme:

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

Story information:

Creole: is a ‘white person descended from the French or Spanish settlers of Louisianaand the Gulf States and preserving their characteristic speech and culture.’ . . .

Three groups:1) whites - highest class2) free Blacks - emancipated slaves middle class3) slaves household property the lowest class

They had a complex social organizationwhich included foreign groups: Germans, Irish, and Spaniards.

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

Young men:

- given their own quarters- entertainment - had mistresses (Black or mulatto)- couldn’t marry them- accepted custom - marriages = business - wives = passive and ‘innocent’ lovers

Young Women:

- needed a dowry- marry before 25 years old- “coming out” event (theater)- beginning search for a husband

Three kinds of French:

- traditional French- Acadian- Black Creole

- Louisiana natives = francophone French-speaking

Kate Chopin: The Early Years

• Born in St. Louis, MO in 1850

• Life was full of tragedy; largely death

• Attended Sacred Heart Academy

• After her father’s death, raised by her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother (all widows)

Role of the Civil War

• St. Louis was a pro-North city

• Only documented female friend was forced to retreat to the South

• A noted time of change

Death

• Though one of 5 children, Chopin was the only one to survive beyond 25 years of age

• Many family members died around Holy Days, instilling a strong sense of skepticism surrounding religion

Marriage

• Married Oscar Chopin at the age of 20

• Both French Catholic background

• He adored her, admired independence and intelligence and “allowed” her unheard of freedom

• Gave birth to 5 boys and 2 girls before she was 28

More Tragedy

• Oscar was not an able businessman; returned to his old home in rural Louisiana (from New Orleans) and died of swamp fever

• Chopin moved her family to St. Louis to live with her mother

• Mother died the next year- this began her writing career

Inspiration for The Awakening and Reception

• Based on stories of people she’d known in New Orleans

• Content and message of The Awakening caused an uproar

• Parallels between Chopin and Edna because both defied societal rules

Künstleroman

• Like a Bildungsroman, but centered around growth as an artist

• The Awakening is a tale of a woman who struggles to realize herself and her artistic ability

Historical and Cultural Background

• Written at the end of the 19th century– Conflict between the old and new– World’s Fair– Darwin– Criticism of the Bible– Women’s Suffrage– Industrial Age (Machine Age)

Louisiana

• In addition to the changes the country was facing, Louisiana had its own set of problems:– Mix of three cultures: American, Southern, and

Creole– Aftermath of the Civil War still reverberating– Edna’s father is a good example of this.

Creole Culture

• Catholic

• Creole women were very conservative

• Frank and open in discussing marriages and children b/c of understood moral nature and chastity

• Deep and personal commitment to fidelity– Adele is a good example of this

Creole Culture Continued…

• Louisiana operated under a different legal system

• Feminist movement had little hope in the state– A woman belonged to her husband– Under Article 1124, married women were

equated with babies and the mentally ill and were deemed incompetent to make a contract

Industrial Age and Lower Class Women’s Independence

• With the Machine Age, the crafts women had always produced in their homes became a mass-producible industry

• Conditions were hazardous, the pay was low, and women’s income was the property of their husbands, but first move toward female independence

Upper and Middle Class Women

• Expected to stay home as idle, decorative symbols of their husbands’ wealth

• “angels of the house”• Pregnant frequently• Cared for their homes, their husbands, their

children; played music, drew and sang• Often brought a dowry or inherited wealth to the

marriage• Adele

Suffrage

• Women began to rise up (Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Coffin Mott)

• Declaration of Sentiments

• Labeled unfeminine, immoral

• 15th Ammendment (1870) gave right to vote regardless of color or creed

Climate of the Time

• The Awakening is representative of the time• Chopin was ostracized• Praised for her skill as a writer, but demonized for

content– “Not a healthy book.”– “Sex fiction.”– “Unhealthy introspection and morbid.”

• The novel encapsulates the struggle of women during this time and speaks to the painful process

Literary Context

• Romantic Movement:– Assertion of the self, power of the individual,

sense of the infinite and transcendental nature of the universe

– Relationship between nature and man

– Making success of failure, American landscape, power of man to conquer the land, and individualism

Romanticism in The Awakening

• Exotic locale

• Emphasis on nature

• Use of color

• Overriding romantic theme: Edna’s search for individuality and freedom

Naturalism and Realism

• Stresses real over fantastic• Societal changes- Bible, Darwin• Uncaring aspects of nature and destiny of man• Life was viewed as relentlessRealism in The Awakening:• Portrayal of Edna as hostage to her biology• Women as economic possessions• Edna as a victim of nature and fate• Local color