Kate Chopin

Kate Chopin (born Katherine O’Flaherty on February 8, 1850) was an American author of short stories and novels, based in Louisiana. She is now considered a forerunner of feminist authors of the 20th century.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, to a prominent Irish-Catholic family, Chopin was the third of five children. In 1870, at the age of 20, she married Oscar Chopin, a French Creole cotton trader, and moved with him to New Orleans. The couple had six children together. In 1882, Oscar died of malaria, leaving Kate a widow at 32. After Oscar’s death, Chopin managed the family’s plantations in Louisiana and began writing to support herself and her children.

Chopin’s writing career began in the 1890s. She was first published in local newspapers and magazines, and her first novel, “At Fault,” was published in 1890. Her most famous work, “The Awakening,” was published in 1899. The novel, which portrayed a woman’s emotional and sexual awakening, was highly controversial and widely criticized at the time for its frank depiction of female sexuality and marital infidelity.

In addition to “The Awakening,” Chopin wrote numerous short stories, many of which were collected in the volumes “Bayou Folk” (1894) and “A Night in Acadie” (1897). Her stories often featured strong, independent women challenging the social norms and expectations of the time.

Despite the negative reception of “The Awakening,” Chopin continued to write until her death on August 22, 1904, at the age of 54. After her death, her work was largely forgotten until the 1950s and 1960s, when a revival of interest in her writing began. Today, she is recognized as an important figure in American literature and a trailblazer for later feminist writers.