1. Kate Chopin & The Awakening

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

3. PLOT
It is the story of a young woman’s
gradual awakening.
- sexuality
- individual "being"
- longing for an independence
- suicide

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

5. Romantic elements & The Awakening
the exotic locale
use of color
heavy emphasis on nature
romantic theme: individuality and freedom
rebellion against society and death

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Chopin interested in how one tells the story as the story itself.
STYLE:
Chopin interested in how one
tells the story as the story itself.

10. Perspective – multiple
Point of view
Imagery

11. Appearance in reality:
seen in the New Orleans experience
things are not always what they seem
things are different to different players.

12. All of these formed her style
theme based
her stories were very short
she was experimenting with style

13. Women’s Rights:
- Chopin: was not your typical feminist nor
a suffragist
took women extremely seriously
due to her background (mother …)

14. 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.”

15. Social Classes:
Black v. White
Rich v. Poor
Male v. Female
comfortable with difference
part of life

16. Theme:
No true beauty without complexity or
conflict
- tragedy and complexity are needed

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

18. Three groups:
whites - highest class
free Blacks - emancipated slaves
middle class
3) slaves household property
the lowest class
They had a complex social organization
which included foreign groups: Germans,
Irish, and Spaniards.

19. 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

20. 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

21. Young Women:
needed a dowry
marry before 25 years old
“coming out” event (theater)
beginning search for a husband

22. Three kinds of French:
traditional French
Acadian
Black Creole
Louisiana natives = francophone
French-speaking

23. 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)

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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)

31. 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.

32. 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

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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

37. 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

38. 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

39. Romanticism in The Awakening
Exotic locale
Emphasis on nature
Use of color
Overriding romantic theme: Edna’s search for individuality and freedom

40. Naturalism and Realism
Stresses real over fantastic
Societal changes- Bible, Darwin
Uncaring aspects of nature and destiny of man
Life was viewed as relentless
Realism 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