How Did Kate Chopin Influence Society

1377 Words6 Pages

In 1848, the first women’s right convention took place at Seneca Falls, New York. Here, women talked about important subjects regarding women’s suffrage. From there on society changed. Women started standing up for each other and fighting for their rights. One early feminist writer was Kate Chopin. She has influenced people all around the world, especially women. She was a prime example of a strong, successful, independent woman. Kate carries her feminist views in her works by showcasing women’s independence and equality. Kate Chopin was born in St. Louis, Missouri, she was born on February 8, 1850 and died on August 22, 1904. Kate was raised solely by her mother which meant her household was dominated by woman. She attended the Academy …show more content…

Many experiences that Kate faced were incorporated into the novel. Chopin also wrote a novel called The Awakening which she is most know for. The Awakening is an honest expansion on the topic of female independence. Kate had many followers that would study her and her work. Some people called it the “American New Feminine Awakening and Rebellion”. After Chopin became successful and known she influenced many people. Chopin’s novel The Awakening started disputed among people all over. Fletcher (1966) cites The Awakening as “an excellent example of the fiction written during the transition from romanticism to realism”. Emily Toth brought back Chopin’s work after it being ripped apart. People praised the novel due to its harsh honesty and …show more content…

Chopin liked to emphasize the female roles. She showed the different women roles such as motherhood, their occupation, romance, and even seduction. Her writing would essentially promote the female character. She prefers taking her time on one certain subject. For example, she will take maybe a couple paragraphs just so she can emphasize one thing. Kate is helpful by going into detail of the important stuff in the novel and briefly goes over the irrelevant parts in the story. In the book The Awakening, Chopin used literary devices such as symbolism. In the book, a bird is discussed frequently and represents the main character, Edna. It represents Edna’s feelings because the bird is her voice. “The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings”(Chopin 89). This shows that Edna must be strong and brave. She must stand out and take risks in order to accomplish the things she wants to do. At the end of the novel, Edna is a “bird with a broken wing”(Chopin 125). The bird represents Edna’s failure and how she is broken inside. Chopin would also use literacy techniques to help emphasize her stance on women’s rights. Throughout the novel, Chopin would talk about Edna’s independence and freedom tat she had gained due to the loss of her husband. Chopin wanted to get the message that women do not need to depend on a