Kate Chopin Biography

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When writing, many authors tend to draw in features from their backgrounds and origins to add a more personal appeal to their work. Kate Chopin, author of two published novels and roughly a hundred short stories, is known for basing many of her stories in Louisiana, where she spent a sizeable portion of her life, and for being ahead of her time in her themes regarding women. Although some of her work has been met by harsh criticism, overall, she “broke new ground in American literature” and wrote incredibly descriptive, phenomenal stories. While Kate Chopin based many of her stories in Louisiana, she was actually born in St. Louis, Missouri, to a French mother and an Irish father. Because of her parents’ diverse backgrounds, Chopin grew …show more content…

Louis, Chopin pursued writing. She wrote countless short stories that were published in many magazines and a few novels. In order to find a publisher for a novel and a collection of her short stories, Chopin traveled to Chicago and New York. Most of her stories reflected themes that were very important to Chopin, such as French influences and strong women. In the time she spent writing, she had a great number of her short stories published in various magazines. Her short stories “Lilacs,” “Her Letters,” “The Story of an Hour,” and “A Respectable Woman” even appeared in Vogue. In 1894, Houghton Mifflin published a collection of 23 of Chopin’s short stories, naming the collection Bayou Folk. This collection was met with enthusiasm, praise, and success. In 1897, another collection of some of Chopin’s short stories called A Night in Acadie was published and was again praised by critics. However, not all of Chopin’s work was met with praise. The Awakening, a novel written by Chopin, was met with harsh criticism, being called “poison,” “morbid,” “unhealthy,” “sordid,” and “unpleasant.” Why such negative criticism? Because the novel focuses on a married woman seeking greater personal freedom and a more fulfilling life, ideas considered blasphemous at the time. It was decades until Chopin’s work was properly understood and appreciated by critics. When critics finally grasped the extent of Chopin’s achievement, they saw that she “broke new ground in American literature” by revolting against tradition and mentioning advanced ideas on sexuality, divorce, and women’s rights.
Chopin died on August 22, 1904, in St. Louis. Today, she is accepted as one of the most important authors of America. Her influences on literature continue to impact writing today. Drawing in from her experiences and background, Chopin wrote incredibly descriptive yet personal stories that have intrigued hundreds of readers. This is why Kate Chopin is one of the most significant writers

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