Kate Chopin (1850-1904)

Katherine O’Flaherty February 8, 1850 St. Louis, Missouri Thomas O’Flaherty, her father, was of Irish descent Eliza Faris, her mother, was of French descent

Strong Women Eliza O’Flaherty – A member of the French-Creole community. Widowed at age 27, Kate’s mother never remarried. Her grandmother, Madame Charleville, and great-grandmother had been widowed at an early age and never remarried. Her great-great-grandmother and her husband were the first to be granted a legal separation in St. Louis.

Early Education Sent to the Academy of the Sacred Heart at age 5, she left after only 2 months when her father died. Her great-grandmother taught her music, history, French, and the need to “live life clearly and fearlessly.” Two years later, Kate returned to school. Academy of the Sacred Heart Grand Coteau, Louisiana

Kate’s Commonplace Book After seeing her depressed, a nun encouraged Kate to begin a personal journal. She wrote in her journal until the end of her three month honeymoon in Europe.

Kate: The Woman Met Oscar Chopin at 19 and married him on June 9, 1870. Moved to New Orleans. After the failure of his business, he moved his family to Natchitoches Parish. Oscar died in 1883 after contracting swamp fever. He left Kate with 6 children.

Kate and Four of Her Children

Kate: The Writer I suppose this is what you would call unwomanly; but I have got into the habit of expressing myself. It doesn't matter to me, and you may think me unwomanly if you like. After having moved back to St. Louis, Kate’s mother died. Kate started writing to ease her pain and to help support her children.

Kate Chopin: A Re-Awakening PBS peered into Kate Chopin’s world Click on the hyperlink to view a clip from the PBS documentary on Chopin’s life.

The Awakening Grand isle, Louisiana http://www.literarytraveler.com/summer/south/chopin.htm "Perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer; than to remain a dupe to illusions all one's life."

The Writing of The Awakening Cover of The Awakening http://www.pbs.org/katechopin/library/awakening/ "Having a group of people at my disposal, I thought it might be entertaining (to myself) to throw them together and see what would happen. I never dreamed of Mrs. Pontellier making such a mess of things and working out her own damnation as she did. If I had the slightest intimation of such a thing, I would have excluded her from the company. But when I found out what she was up to, the play was half over, and it was then too late."

Scandal After The Awakening was published in 1899, literary critics condemned her novel for the sexual promiscuity of the protagonist. After a decade of writing, Kate Chopin ends her literary career. Kate dies on August 20, 1904 of a cerebral hemorrhage after attending the St. Louis World’s Fair.

Works Cited “Academy of the Sacred Heart.” http://www.ashcoteau.org/ “Classical Archives.” http://www.classicalarchives.com/ “Kate Chopin.” http://www.womenwriters.net/domesticgoddess/chopin1.htm “Kate Chopin: A Re-Awakening.” http://www.pbs.org/katechopin/program.html “Kate Chopin: A Woman Ahead of Her Time.” http://www.angelfire.com/nv/English243/Chopin.html