An Author Before Her Time In the late 1800s, Kate Chopin was a female author who was far ahead of her time. Kate Chopin works did not become famous until after her death. She is considered a feminist writer who was ahead of her time. At the time of her writings women had no voice and had to submit to their husband. Her writings came from many influences including her family. Kate Chopin was an author ahead of her time because of her background and experiences, influences, and being a feminist as shown in The Awakening and “The Storm.” First, Kate Chopin had an interesting background. She was born on February 8, 1850 in St. Louis, Missouri. Her father, Thomas O’Flaherty, was an Irish immigrant who was a successful merchant. Eliza …show more content…
After her mother died in 1884 she felt alone. Frederick Kolbenheyer encouraged her to begin reading in anthropology and biology. Her readings included Charles Darwin, Thomas Henry Huxley, and Herbert Spencer. He also got her to start to write fiction because he liked the literary qualities of the letters she had wrote him. Kate Chopin began writing fiction in late 1888. In 1888 and 1889, she found inspiration for her themes and techniques from the French writers. A French writer who influenced her a significant amount was Guy de Maupassant. Kate Chopin had an apprenticeship with Sarah Orne Jewett and Mary E. Wilkins Freeman. She was a creator among American fiction writers because of her realistic and forthright treatment of human sexuality (Inge, Bond, and Grant). Kate Chopin’s writing career began after the deaths of her husband and mother (“Kate Chopin”).She was in depression and the doctor encouraged her to write to help her get better. When her husband died, Kate Chopin went and did more than a female of the time should. She overcame the female role. She did more than the role of a wife and mother. She was becoming an