In twentieth century, feminist literature was introduced by a few independent daring women. Among them writers Kate Chopin holds a high stature. She was an American novelist and short stories writer.
Kate Chopin was born on February 8, 1850 in St. Louis, Missouri and given the birth name Katherine O’Flaherty. Her father was an Irish immigrant businessman and mother belonged to a French community. Most of her siblings died before crossing twenties. Subsequent to her father’s demise, she became close to her maternal family. She also became a voracious reader, fulfilling her appetite with religious allegories, fairy tales, classics and contemporary novels and poetry.
She got married to Oscar Chopin when she was 20 and had six children. Her husband died twelve years after their marriage and left her in great debt. She moved in with her kids in her mother’s house, who also died the following years. Losing two of the closest relations in such a brief time, left Chopin in unbearable anguish and depression. Her doctor and a family friend suggested her to pour her depressed and suffocated feelings in writing which could also become a source of income for her. In 1890s she began her writing career with articles, short stories and translation of works other authors . They were published in a periodical the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and a few other literary magazines.
Chopin’s debut novel At Fault was published in 1890. It was followed by a short story collection, Bayou Folk published in 1894. It contained a famous short story “Désirée’s Baby” about the events followed by the birth of a mixed race child. Another story “The Story of an Hour” illustrates a woman’s reaction on her husband’s apparent death. In front of everyone she pretends to be going through unbearable pain on her tragic loss but alone she imagines the exhilarating power she would have as an independent widow. However, her dream is shattered as she learns her husband is alive. The next volume of short fiction, A Night in Acadie, was published in 1897.
There was a recurring thematic pattern in her stories. Her stories mostly focused on marriage and conventions of the society. The characters were shown stuck between choices; to do as expected of them from society or follow the path of their heart’s utmost desire. And usually they chose latter, defying the norms of their society. Chopin was very casual and confident in discussing sensitive issues such as, women’s desire of independence and their sexual urges. She incorporated all these themes in her final novel The Awakening published at the end of nineteenth century. The female protagonist in the book was shown to be involved in an adulterous affair which went against the conventional stories written at that time. The novel garnered scandalous status for its highly controversial subject matter. It was not received positively because it was written ahead of its time when feminism was not part of mainstream American society.
The brash criticism for her novel discouraged Kate Chopin so much so that she reverted to short story writing. She penned only seven short stories from 1900 to 1904. She was reported to have suffered a stroke that resulted in her death on August 22, 1904. The idea of women’s individual and sexual independence was not regarded as absurd and scandalous notions in the years that followed her demise. Her writings were posthumously recognized and applauded for its bold content.