In this early example of feminist writing, Edna Pontellier, a young wife and mother, rejects the strict societal confines for women in late 1800s America and expresses a rare and powerful form of freedom.
Set in New Orleans at the turn of the century, The Awakening navigates the moral, emotional, and intellectual journey of Edna as she balances self-discovery and her growing independence with married life and societal expectations in late nineteenth-century America.
This incredible exploration of femininity, freedom, and sexual desire was rejected upon initial publication in 1899 due to its unorthodox messages regarding social attitudes towards women and motherhood. Now recognised as a feminist masterpiece, Katie Chopin's novella is an important read in modernist American literature.
Also featured in this volume are the following short stories by Chopin:
- Beyond the Bayou
- Ma'ame Pelagie
- Desiree's Baby
- A Respectable Woman
- The Kiss
- A Pair of Silk Stockings
- The Locket
- A Reflection
Klappentext
Classic Books Library presents this brand new edition of "The Awakening, and Selected Short Stories" by Kate Chopin. "The Awakening" (1899) is set in New Orleans during the turn-of-the-century. The story navigates the moral, emotional and intellectual journey of a Victorian woman as she balances self-discovery, creativity and her growing independence with married life and societal expectations. It has also been noted for its critique of upper-class tendencies in the American South. As Edna attempts to reconcile her own desires with domesticity and the pressures of traditional duty, it seems that solitude may be the only answer. Kate Chopin (1850-1904) was an American author, born in St. Louis, Missouri as Katherine O'Flaherty. Known for her critical short stories and inclusion of women's issues in her writing, Chopin is now praised as a forerunner of American feminist literature in addition to being thought of as a precedent of early American Modernism. Other stories in this collection include: "Beyond the Bayou", "Ma'ame Pelagie", "Desiree's Baby", "A Respectable Woman", "The Kiss", "A Pair of Silk Stockings", "The Locket", and "A Reflection".