“A Pair of Silk Stockings” By Kate Chopin

The Importance of Fashion… “If I were shabby, no one would have me: A woman is asked out as much for her clothes as for herself. The clothes are the background, the frame, if you like: They don’t make success, but they are a part of it.” –Lily Bart in Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth …In your own opinion, how true is this statement today?

Why Silk? Nylon was not yet invented in the 1890’s Women wore thick, cotton stockings Silk stockings were ranked as pure luxury

Context for the Story Setting: 1890’s, Victorian America Women in the US were strongly discouraged from working outside the home Women were not allowed to vote and generally were not encouraged to pursue higher education Women who asserted and expressed themselves were told that their behavior was unnatural 15 dollars was the sum equivalent to a generous weekly salary in the 1890s

About the Author: Kate Chopin Often wrote about the difficulty and injustices of domestic life as a woman Had a happy marriage with her husband Oscar Oscar’s position as a store owner enabled her to meet many poor women like Mrs. Sommers Literary pioneer who revealed the constraints and confines of marriage and motherhood Devastated for years after Oscar’s death, leaving her to care for her 6 children alone

How will Mrs. Sommers spend her 15 dollars?