Gender Roles In Kate Chopin's A Pair Of Silk Stockings

In the story “A Pair of Silk Stockings” By: Kate Chopin, she explores the stereotypical female role during the time period in which the story takes place. Chopin starts off by showing how happy and excited she is to be the owner of $15 and how (though considering the time, it was very true) was quite a lot of money for a single person to possess. She also tells how the main character, Mrs. Somers, now feels as if she is somewhat important and has a meaning in her life once again. This probably means that she had lost a sense of freedom ever sense she got married, moved away from her parents or some-other reason. All that we need to know, is that it was taken from her.

Mrs. Sommers ponders deeply about what she should spend the money on. She does not want to spend the money on things she may or may not need. This is now the beginning of her internal conflict which will soon become physical.

Her first thought has to do with Janie’s shoes and how they got worn-down and are now almost useless. As a mother at the time, her number one priority seems to stereotypically be her children therefore, she thinks of them first although she herself has had little time, and money, to spend for herself.

Sommers makes it part-way through the day constantly worrying about her

Sommers is spending her money carelessly, her situation gets worse as sort of a “chain reaction” or “domino effect” takes place. Mrs. Sommers thinks spending a little bit more on herself wouldn’t hurt anybody. The problem with this is, she purchases one thing then realizes she needs something ELSE to go with what she had just bought. Sommers purchases things like magazines which signals to me that she has gone from someone who cares little about herself, to only herself, and now to a person who cares about herself and people who don’t have any meaning to her. There are people she “cares” about and also others who she wants to sort of stomp all over all because she has found