Response To Kate Chopin's The Awakening

A1: Immediately upon reading , “The Story of an Hour,” I can relate to what the author is saying and how the main character is feeling. I lost my husband 7 ½ years ago in a car accident. I remember going through the motions of grief and how much my life was going to change and be different, not only for me, but my then 3 year old daughter. I also can recall, like the main character, thinking that I was finally free. I lived in a marriage, where much like the main character, there were times I loved my husband and I truly was grieving for his loss. However, then came the time where I realized I didn’t have to watch every word I said or every move I made in fear of being lashed out at verbally or physically. A2: There is a part in the story,

In 1894, her short story, “The Story of an Hour,” was published in Vogue magazine earning her $10. Much of Kate Chopin’s works combined slavery and women’s right. Kate published many more short stories and a few novels. Perhaps her most notable novel was, “The Awakening.” (Koloski, n.d). Many said this book was too far ahead of its time (americanliterature.com, n.d). Others said, “The Awakening” was morbid, vulgar, and disagreeable. There was too many sexual threads throughout the story. “The Awakening” was judged and pulled from all shelves (Koloski,

About one third of her writing is done in children’s books. Kate died in August of 1904. It would take nearly 50 years for her works to be truly respected and understood. Many now say that Kate broke new ground in literature (Koloski, n.d). Knowing that she took much from her life and put it into her works makes you understand her just a little bit better. She knows what loss is about having lost her father and husband. B3: An important theme from this period had to do with women. Women’s right and female independence. This shows in the story when Louise learns of her husband’s death and although she is saddened, she also realizes at the same time, she is finally free. Free from all that held her back. Free from not doing what she wants. When her husband returns after Louise has had her epiphany, it is too much for her to bear, and she dies (MindEdge, 2014). B4: Women’s rights and independence are still widely sought after in different countries. Reading Kate Chopin’s work shows that this is attainable and what its like. Luckily, Kate’s book were written in the Realist period, where authors and artists strived to depict reality, even if it was a harsh reality, like