The Rise And Fall Of Kate ChopinEssay Preview: The Rise And Fall Of Kate ChopinReport this essayThe Rise and Fall of Kate ChopinKate Chopin once stated that the only true subject for great fiction is “human existence in the subtle, complex, true meaning, stripped of the veil with which ethical and conventional standards have draped it” (Foy 1991). Likewise, Chopin has written almost one hundred short stories, three novels, and one play: all about the people she knew and places she had experienced in her lifetime. Chopin’s work was categorized as local color, which is fiction focusing on the region and its characteristics. Because Chopin wrote openly about what she observed around her, her literary career was ruined by the critical response of her readers to her last novel, The Awakening.
Kate Chopin was born Katherine O’Flaherty in St. Louis, MO in 1850 to a wealthy Irish-French family. When Chopin was five years old, she was sent to a catholic boarding school only to be sent home two months later when her father was killed in a tragic train accident. For two years she was raised in a household dominated by smart, independent, single women who not only taught her piano and French but also how to be independent as well. Consequently, Chopin became very close with her great grandmother who regaled her with stories of other independent women in their history which made a great impression on her. In fact, Howard notes that her great grandmother, Mme. Victoire Verdon, “told tales of her own grandmother who had run a ferry service on the Mississippi and entertained the young girl with lively stories of women who dared and seldom remarried. (1)” Furthermore, Chopin’s great-great grandmother ran her own business, was separated from her husband, and had children out of wedlock. The influences of these strong women provided Chopin with an understanding of women’s independence and strength she brought forth in her writing. Due to the manner in which she was raised that led to her independence, Chopin did not follow some of the social rules for women of her time.
When Chopin turned 18 she entered St. Louis’s high society, gaining popularity for her beauty and charm. As time went on, she began to question the Catholic authority of women’s subservience to men. Because of this, the frivolous practices of high society began to trouble her. In fact, Contemporary Authors Encyclopedia notes the following:
In the spring of 1989 she traveled to New Orleans and befriended a charismatic, independent – though married – German singer and actress. Chopin was impressed with the woman, who seemed to maintain her individuality despite marriage.
This shows, therefore, that Chopin is beginning to form her own character from the women around her and is becoming more independent in nature. In addition, it proves Chopin is increasingly becoming a woman ahead of her time. As a result, Chopin’s writings increasingly become focused on the private needs of women during a time when their public needs were slowly being addressed (Howard 3).
When Chopin’s husband’s sudden death facilitate a move back to St Louis with her mother, she began to write poems, short stories, and her first novel describing to her readers exactly what she experienced in Louisiana. For example, Contemporary Authors notes that Chopin’s first novel, At Fault, is “about morally complex — and preprosterous — romantic considerations” and addresses “women’s emancipation and marital discord (103).” This also sets the stage for her later writings as she begins to establish herself as a masterful colorist of the Louisiana culture. In addition, Chopin continued to write short stories containing alleged immoral themes which led to both critical reviews of the immorality
in the late 1700s and early 1800s and a major part of the 18th century
of Mississippi. This type of writing is known to be not only considered by some but also by others as such.4: This is the third piece of information that the book discusses above. One of the biggest sources of information about the story is the book’s description of the events of the 1800s in Louisiana and that the story was published in 1871 with a short introduction by Mrs. Marie Smith. In an interview with the Louisiana Gazette, Mrs. Smith described how, according to her, Chopin¥¥Ðñ·¥ÑÔ “had the best experience on the journey to Mississippi as she had the best experience, both in her head and in her mind. And I couldn’t quite believe that my life was a living thing in Mississippi. And yet the best experience I have, of course, is for myself—I didn’t ask for the best opportunity or, you know, any opportunity. I wanted the best, and it was all I got for what I had to say about my life there.” (102)
One of the great things about this book is that both the short and the long pieces recount stories which have gone under the radar. When the short pieces have stories which have been reported in “very respectable” and “high quality” fashion, these stories provide a clear look at the history of Louisiana culture and the relationship created over nearly a hundred years ago by the state. Here are some that have been used in this book, along with the stories that have been shared:
The following are some quotes from my interviews with writers of the first quarter of the first century because they could be considered sources of information: [D]ohle, John. The Art of Blue Jeans (New York: Harper & Row, 1990), 12.
After taking a look at the paintings that were used on the wall above, I realized that the “Blue Jeans paintings” were made of canvas and were covered with watercolor. When you look closely at these paintings, one notices that they are made of canvas and are covered with watercolor. This is a sign that the Louisiana people wanted to be proud of their history, not only of it, but of what they were doing with their lives.
Louisiana is actually very unique in that it had no government. The American people were given very broad authority, and a certain degree of free expression. And when the American people tried to express their own desires, it almost always ended with the