Chopin

Kate Chopin Biography

A popular writer of Creole life in Louisiana, Katherine O'Flaherty Chopin (1851 – 1904) is remembered today primarily for her ground-breaking feminist novel, The Awakening. She was reared and educated in St. Louis, Missouri. Chopin had a mixed background—an Irish father and French Creole mother. Chopin was a witty, intelligent debutante who married, traveled to Europe, and then settled in New Orleans. Her father's death, her close relationship with her family, and a habit of avid reading all contributed to her later writing.

Although actively involved in the social life of the city during her years there, she was still able to give birth to and raise six children. Chopin began to write as a result of a series of unfortunate personal events: the death of her husband, escalating debts, the death of her mother, and a nervous breakdown. By the late 1880s, however, she was contributing to popular periodicals, and in the 1890s, published two collections of short stories, Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie. Her major work, The Awakening, unleashed a torrent of criticism when it was originally published, because of its theme and its portrayal of a woman who chooses to be independent of her husband.

Chopin died in 1904 from a cerebral hemorrhage.

Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights

To fully appreciate Chopin's short story, consider the following points:

Historical Note:

Birth and breeding were extremely important to the Southerner of the 19th century. A person's name gave social class and prestige to the family, in addition to showing if a person's background included any ancestors who were black. The climax of “Désirée's Baby” hinges upon this societal prejudice.

Theme:

The story centers on both the presumed inferiority of women, dependence on a husband, and the deleterious and irrational effects of racism.