Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”

“The Story of an Hour”“The Story of an Hour” is one of Kate

Chopin’s famous short stories. Vogue magazine first published the

story in its December 6, 1894 issue under the title, “The Dream of an Hour”.

On January 5, 1895, Sue V. Moore, a journalist and friend of Chopin, reprinted the story in St. Louis Life, a newspaper in which Moore was the editor.

“The Story of an Hour”Over the years, the story was

republished again and again under the title, “The Story of an Hour”.

The story observes the classical unities of time, place, and action. These unities dictate that the events in a short story should take place: (1) in a single day(2) in a single location as part of (3) a single story line with no subplots.

The Unities

French classical writers, interpreting guidelines established by Aristotle for stage dramas, formulated the unities. Over the centuries, many writers began to ignore them, but many playwrights and authors of short stories continued to use them.

Kate Chopin’s mother and grandmother were of French descent, and Kate was fluent in French.

Kate Chopin’s The AwakeningHistorical

and

Background Information

Essential QuestionsHow does literature help us understand ourselves and others?

How has writing become a communication tool across the ages?

Standards: ELACC11

Take Notes on the Historical and Background Information of

The Awakening.

Major Works Data Sheet

CHS Teacher Page *Form Number 12

*AP The Awakening

Life Birth: Born Katherine O’Flaherty on

February 8, 1850/1851 in St. Louis, MO Father: Thomas

(emigrated from Ireland; died in a railroad accident when she was 5)

Mother: Eliza (of French descent-23 years younger than Kate’s father)

Religion: Catholic Slave owners who supported

Confederacy

Family LifeSiblings:2 brothers;1sister George (from her father’s

first marriage-his 1st wife died during childbirth; Confederate soldier who died in the Civil War)

*Thomas, Jr. (died in a buggy accident) *Jane (died the year after

her father was killed)

Education Well acquainted with French language and culture; tutored by her great-grandmother Madame Charleville in speaking and writing in French *(French later influenced her fiction writing, including The Awakening)

Attended and graduated from the Academy of the Sacred Heart in 1868 (rigorous curriculum but trained young ladies for marriage, motherhood, modesty, and submissiveness)Strong maternal background (raised by her mother and grandmother after her father died)

Played the piano

Family Life Marriage:

*married Oscar Chopin, the son of a plantation owner from Louisiana (for 12 years), on June 9, 1870*He was 6 years older.*White supremacist

Children (6) 5 sons and 1 daughterLived in France for a

short time to escape post Civil War in America*War in France *Lived in Louisiana

Career, Jobs, and Family Life

Oscar Chopin studied banking in preparation for a career as a cotton factor, an agent for cotton growers and buyers.

The failure of crops and the yellow-fever epidemic caused the business to struggle.

As a result, the Chopin family moved to Cloutierville, LA.

Life in CloutiervilleKate bore her

6th child.Place where

Oscar died of malaria in December 1882

Where Kate had an affair

Life in St. LouisKate

returned to live in St. Louis; within a year, her mother died.

Became a published author (Wrote about controversial topics such as: diseases, racism, and adultery.)

Chopin’s WorksShe became a published author by the

age of 39.Her poems and short stories were

published in magazines.“Emancipation: A Life of Fable”

(her first surviving short story)At Fault (her first novel; could not find

a publisher for it, so she privately printed it; not as successful as The Awakening)

First published book was a collection of stories titled Bayou Folks.

Chopin’s WorksShe admired Guy de Maupassant

(the writer of “The Necklace”).She translated a number of his

stories from French into English.The failure of At Fault and the

inspiration of Maupassant persuaded her to concentrate on writing short fiction during the 1890’s.

Published a collection of stories titled A Night in Acadie in 1897.

DeathDied in

St. Louis of brain hemorrhage

44 years old

The AwakeningChopin’s second novelPublished in 1899What she observed and experienced when

living in New Orleans was included in the book.

Many speculate that the book is based on Kate’s own marriage.

The book received many unfavorable reviews and was not in circulation for 50 years after its publication. Thought of to be: “sickening”, “selfish”, and “not a healthy book”.

It was her last published book.

The Awakening GenreGenre·fiction (literary realism)Characteristics: novel of

intellectual, spiritual or moral evolution; shares elements of and is heavily influenced by the local color genre (fiction and poetry focusing on the characters, dialect, customs, and other features particular to the region)

Chopin was interested in capturing realistic consequences of social conventions that limited the rights of certain groups within a society.

Historical Contexts

I. Civil War (Her family owned slaves; half-brother George was killed while serving as a Confederate soldier in Civil War.)

II. Treatment of Women during this time (relational beings-wives and mothers rather than individuals)

III. Life in Europe (Civil War in France) IV. Life in New Orleans (Creole lifestyle-rich in music, sinful

reputation, partied on the Sabbath Day; fond of drinking, gambling, lotteries, and dancing)

V. Treatment of Blacks after the Civil War (quadroon women)

VI. Religion -differences in values between Catholic French Creoles and Presbyterians; Protestants split most denominations into northern and southern branches (northern criticism of the south over slavery)

The Awakening

Consider a statement by writer Nancy Walker as you read Kate Chopin’s The Awakening.

“Each reader of the Awakening must decide whether to view Edna Pontellier’s experience as positive or negative- or both. Of what does her “awakening” consist? How does one interpret the ending? Is Edna doomed or freed? In the [book], Kate Chopin has provided a complex story that admits of no easy answers but is sure to raise some questions.”

Chapter 1

Take your books out.

Grand Isle, Louisiana

(where the Chopins spent summers)

Literary Devices in Chapter 1Term Definition Term # in

Glossary

allusion a direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such an event, book, myth, place or work or art. They can be historical, literary, religious, topical, or mythical.

21

imagery the sensory details used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions.

217

foreshadowing hints of what is to come in the action of a story.

198

symbol/symbolism anything that represents itself and stands for something else

362

Key Literary Devices in Chapter 1 Symbolism/foreshadowing: green and yellow parrot repeating over and over, “Go away! Go away! For God’s sake!”

Symbolism:wedding rings

Imagery: Local Color (mysterious and exotic; resort South of New Orleans; Creole lady in white vs. Catholic lady in black)

Foreshadowing: Edna’s interaction with Robert; Mr. Pontellier’s reaction to Edna; Zampa

Key Literary Devices in Chapter 1

Allusions: Grand Isle: is a town in Jefferson Parish, LA located

on an island; the island is at the mouth of Barataria Bay where it meets the Gulf of Mexico.

Zampa: opera 1st performed in Paris on May 3, 1831; the opera concerns Zampa, an immoral pirate whose wicked career ends when he is dragged to his death in the sea by a marble statue of a lady he had once betrayed.

Cheniere Caminada: popular vacation resort in LA Gulf of Mexico; hit and destroyed by hurricane in 1893

Grand Isle

Grand Isle

Chêniére Caminda

Chêniére Caminda

One such newspaper read:

The population of Cheniere Caminada island is 1471. Of these 696 only are now living; 779 are dead. Historic Cheniere Caminada is no more. The first effects of the storm were felt between 4 and 5 p.m. on Sunday. Everyone apprehended that something terrible was about to happen. … There was one avenue of safety, and that was to seek the upper stories of the houses, but even that chance for escape was lost when the wind and waves combined shook the frail habitations, which rocked to and fro and creaked and groaned under the repeated attacks of the furious elements. Soon the houses were being demolished, wrecked and carried away. The wind shifted to the southeast, and for hours shrieked with redoubled fury. Above the thundering voice of the hurricane could be heard the despairing cries, the groans and the frantic appeals for help of the unfortunate victims. (65)

Mass graves had to be dug for people as well as livestock, and the relief effort from New Orleans and surrounding areas proceeded as quickly as possible.

Fifty-four miles from New Orleans and surrounded by water, help for Cheniere Caminada was hampered by the distance and water that made it such an effective hideaway for Edna Pontellier and Kate Chopin.

Chêniére Caminda

Destroyed by Hurricane in 1893

More than 800 people died

Chêniére Caminda

ttp://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Cheniere+Caminada+The+Awakening&view=detail&id=B814E956FA976178C545FF6E568A6C569249B99E

Local Color features in Chapter1

New Orleans and Creole trappings

Yellow and green parrot who speaks French, Spanish, and unknown language

Resort south of New Orleans

Quadroon nurse (the offspring of a Mulatto and a White; a person who is one-quarter Black)

Creole lady in white shouting orders vs. Catholic lady walking demurely (modestly/reserved) in black telling her beads (prayer; Roman Catholic devotion to the Virgin Mary)

AP Literature Important Dates

Quizzes/Responses

“A” Day “B” Day

The Awakening Quiz #1 (Chapters 1-10)

Thursday, September 11th

Friday, September 12h

The Awakening Quiz #2(Chapters 11-20)

Friday, September 19th Thursday, September 18th

The Awakening Quiz #3(Chapters 21-30)

Thursday, September 25th

Friday, September 26th

The Awakening Quiz #4(Chapters 31-39)

Wednesday, October 1st Tuesday, September 30th

Major Works Data Sheet Tuesday, October 7th Monday, October 6th

The Awakening Essay Thursday, October 9th Friday, October 10th

Major Works Data Sheet

Select Group Members.

tuesday 9/11/01 by Lucille Clifton Thunder and lightning and our world

is another place no day

will ever be the same no blood

untouched

they know this storm in otherwheres

israel ireland palestine

but God has blessed America

we sing

and God has blessed America

to learn that no one is exempt

the world is one all fear

is one all life all death

all one