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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.
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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: 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