Historical and biographical information on Chopin and more!

Who was Kate?

-Kate had 6 children and was happily married. - Her husband supported her independence and unconventional dress for the times

- - At age 31 her husband, Oscar died and instead of taking a new husband she began running his business - -At this point she decided to focus more on her writing and moved her family back to St. Louis where she was born and raised

Who replaced Oscar? Kate never remarried although she had many offers She attracted the attention of a wealthy Creole farmer and planter, Albert Sampite Many of her journals which she began writing after she became a widow indicate she and Albert were more than friends We see this reflected in her writing through characters who are widowed yet still full of hope

Death and Legacy On August 20, 1904 Kate attended the St. Louis World’s Fair, one of the most spectacular events in U.S. history That night she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died a day later, she probably would have appreciated the irony of her way out Because her work was considered so racy for its time, her writing went unnoticed and unread until the Women’s Movement of the 60’s and 70’s

“Is love divine?” “ I am inclined to think that love springs from animal instinct, and therefore is, in measure, divine. One can never resolve to love this man, woman, or child, and then carry out the resolution unless one feels irresistibly drawn by an indefinable current of magnetism.” Kate Chopin