Current Search: Chopin, Kate,--1851-1904--Characters. (x)
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Title
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Kate Chopin's female characters: A study in conflict and growth.
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Creator
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Kunf, Marcia Ann., Florida Atlantic University, Peyton, Ann
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Abstract/Description
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Among nineteenth-century American writers, Kate Chopin presented a new American heroine in the character of Edna Pontellier. She would not merely be a passive recipient reacting to the pressures of a male dominated society. She would actively take control of her own destiny. Chopin created her heroine in an environment that did not tolerate deviance from accepted stereotypes; therefore, many of Chopin's stories either received negative criticism or were rejected for publication because of...
Show moreAmong nineteenth-century American writers, Kate Chopin presented a new American heroine in the character of Edna Pontellier. She would not merely be a passive recipient reacting to the pressures of a male dominated society. She would actively take control of her own destiny. Chopin created her heroine in an environment that did not tolerate deviance from accepted stereotypes; therefore, many of Chopin's stories either received negative criticism or were rejected for publication because of subject matter. Chopin was sensitive to her critics; however, she was also committed to representing realistic women in their struggles for selfhood. In addition, Chopin created these repeating female characters to chronicle their quests for self-fulfillment. Conflicts, resulting from assertive action, stirred a rebellion inside the heroine and resulted in decisions that shocked and angered a society which was not prepared to accept such strong characters as Edna. Similar to her heroine, Kate Chopin concurrently experienced the dilemmas and ultimate growth that is involved in self-actualization. Kate Chopin was forced to decide how to express herself in a society which was not yet ready to hear her message.
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Date Issued
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1991
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14743
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Subject Headings
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Chopin, Kate,--1851-1904--Characters., Women in literature.
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Disturbers of the peace: Representations of women in the stories of Kate Chopin.
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Creator
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Caldwell, Eleanor Mitchell., Florida Atlantic University, McGuirk, Carol
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Abstract/Description
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Beyond the Victorian and Southern myths of women existed other levels of female autonomy and strength. In the stories of Kate Chopin, women characters perform social roles as wives, mothers, and hostesses; in addition, they live out other layers of existence in which they have greater control and freedom. Some, like Edna Pontellier in The Awakening, find an "inward life which questions." Others, like the protagonists of "The Kiss," "The Respectable Woman," "Lady of Bayou St. John," "At the ...
Show moreBeyond the Victorian and Southern myths of women existed other levels of female autonomy and strength. In the stories of Kate Chopin, women characters perform social roles as wives, mothers, and hostesses; in addition, they live out other layers of existence in which they have greater control and freedom. Some, like Edna Pontellier in The Awakening, find an "inward life which questions." Others, like the protagonists of "The Kiss," "The Respectable Woman," "Lady of Bayou St. John," "At the 'Cadian Ball," "The Storm," and "Athenaise," find an outer life characterized by intrigue and manipulation. Chopin's women characters enact a stratified female consciousness that begins with manipulation and ends with a failed attempt at independent survival.
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Date Issued
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1988
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14423
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Subject Headings
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Chopin, Kate,--1851-1904--Characters--Women, Women in literature
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Format
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Document (PDF)
