Kate Chopin

      Kate Chopin was born in St. Louis, Missouri on February 8, 1850 to Eliza and Thomas O'Flaherty. In 1851, when she was about 5 years old he was sent to a catholic boarding school, Sacred Heart Academy. Two months after, Kate’s father died from a train accident. She then moved out of the boarding school and resided with her mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother who were all widowed. Her grandmother! Victoria Berden taught her French, music, and gossip. Her mom was the first to gain legal separation from her husband. She grew up in a household filled with strong single women, which probably have influenced her perspectives and style of writing.

      She went back to boarding school and became the top student and won medals. She was elected into the elite children of Mary Society where she held a commencement speech. She graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in 1868. During these years, she has experienced unhappy incidents that had caused her to have doubts on religion. Many of her family members passed at a young age including her father, siblings, and the death of her grandmother affected her the most. Her family was the most important thing to her. 

     Creole culture is a person descended from early French or Spanish settlers in the United States, which they preserve their speech and culture. The Creole culture was very wealthy and they had imported goods from all over the world. Kate’s mother was part of a prominent French Creole Family. At the age of twenty-five, she got married to Oscar Chopin who was also a Creole cotton trader and from prominent French Creole Family. She was greatly influenced by her background. Her husband and her moved to New Orleans where Creole heritage was celebrated. With her appreciation to her creole background, she mentions it in her book, but instead of French creole, she mostly mentioned the Louisiana creole. She talked about the liberty, art, and music. She was very proud of her heritage and writing about it made her feel great. 

     Kate Chopin lived during the Civil war and St. Louis were pro-North. The creole population decreased during this time and many had to moved to small communities. Liberty was removed, so the Creole didn't have anything like they used to. Everything changed when the perspectives of society suddenly change. They were treated as slaves and many were forced to work to survive. Her husband died from malaria and had to raise their seven kids on her own. She moved back with her mother, but she later died and Kate was left alone was again. She was in poverty and needed a way to support her children. She began to write which was intended as a therapeutic healing against her depression. She immediately reach success and she found a source of income. She published her first story in 1890 called “At Fault”. She was well known as both the local colorist and woman writer. She then published “The Awakening” in 1899, which was received negatively. This has denied her access to St. Louis Fine Art Club and was rejected as an author. She was downgraded and after that incident, she only wrote short stories. Two short stories that were received greatly was Bayou Folk (1894) and A Night in Acadie (1897). She still wrote in her last few years and she passed away on August 22, 1902 due to cerebral hemorrhage.

     Kate has explored women’s independence and incorporated this into her writing. She became known as the “woman who were born before her time”. She wrote short stories, articles, translations, etc. Kate is considered as one of the first feminist authors of the 19th and 20th century. She has paved a way for future feminist writers in the world of writing. It is said that she wrote her stories based on the people of St. Louis and her Creole background also included her style of writing. Kate Chopin is not only a feminist writer, but indeed an intelligent and a great writer. 

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Work Cited

"Biography." The Kate Chopin International Society, 9 Feb. 2016. Web. <http://www.katechopin.org/biography/>.

Gilbert. "Creoles." Kate Chopin. 2002. Web. <http://www.loyno.edu/~kchopin/new/culture/creoles2.html>.

"Kate Chopin." American Literature. Web.

<https://americanliterature.com/author/kate-chopin/bio-books-stories>

Wyatt, Neal. "Biography of Kate Chopin." VCU, 1955. Web. <http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/hour/katebio.html>.