Kate Chopins - A Brief Biography And Influences on Chopin's Writings

Kate Chopins was born Catherine O'Flaherty on the 12th of July, 1850 in St. Louis, Missouri to Thomas O'Flaherty from Ireland, and Eliza Faris an French-American. The youngest amongst three children, Kate obviously enjoyed the best part of her life, an aspect that only continued till the age of five years, when she suddenly lost her father. This was also the moment that would bring permanent changes in Kate's life, as she had become to the norms of a patriarchal society, and looked upon her father as center of the entire household. However, after the demise of Kate's father, she was left with her widowed mother, widowed-grandmother as well as widowed-great grandmother, thus totally surrounded by women who had spent all their lives being part of the same male dominated society. One could also observe that this lack of male members in the immediate family also provided a strong impetus for the individual in Kate Chopins to develop into an author who failed to merge in the otherwise patriarchal and male dominated family system of the 19th century. Foremost was the element and concept of married life, which Kate obviously did not encounter as her father had died while she was still 5 years old, and the rest of her entire life would be spent surrounded by women, who were but part of the same submissive system. (Christina, 2004; Wyatt, 1995)

The life of Kate Chopin and the influences on her writings also bear witness to the facts that she was not only surrounded by female figures at home, more so her entire education by nuns, and schools for girls truly nurtured Chopin's character into one which defied norms of the society. Graduating from St. Louis of Sacred Heart, it was normally expected, as with other young women of her age, that Kate would step into the 'pre-defined' role of a wife and mother. However, her entire upbringing under female teachers, nuns and a family where there was no male member, except for brother, practically reinforced Chopin's character into one which simply did not accept males enjoying the positions of autonomy or authority for that matter. For Chopins, women were the center figures, and this continuous aspect of her life provided the principle ingredient in practically all her characters in her writings. Thus, one may observe that majority of her characters comprise of women being 'stifled', both in marriage and social life, as well as succumbing to the 'higher' masculine authority. (Christina, 2004; Wyatt, 1995)

In 1870, Kate married one Oscar Chopins, a cotton broker by trade, and soon they moved to settle in New Orleans, Louisiana. For the next nearly a decade, Chopins fulfilled her social and family responsibilities, during which she gave birth to six children. This continuity of a happily married life did not last long, as financial troubles forced her husband to another city Clouterville, where too the brokerage business could not prosper and faced doom. In 1882, Chopin's husband suddenly died, leaving the author alone with her children. Chopins was forced to settle her business affairs, and decided to move back to the city where she was born and raised, that of St. Louis. Back to her hometown, Chopins found some solace being near her mother and relatives, yet this happiness too could not last long, as Chopin's mother died, bringing an end to one of the most powerful relationships in the author's life. The deaths of her husband, and then her mother truly left Chopins in a devastated state, and this period was to have a very strong influence in the later life as well as entire writings.

The two deaths one after the other indeed left Chopins alone to find her true identity, and a sense of change that would make and transform her into one of the classic authors of the women's movement in general, and a remarkable writer in the list of American female authors. Perhaps the search for self-identity and self understanding paved the path for Chopins to develop majority of the events in her writings and the roles awarded to her protagonists. One can thus make out an overview of most of her characters, which are in search of their roles in the society, and seek both their identities and their places in the otherwise male dominated society of the 19th century. The search for identity and a place in the society is also one of her strongest themes, found in majority of Chopins writings. (Christina, 2004; Wyatt, 1995)

Kate Chopins began to write in 1889, some 39 years after living a life as a plain housewife, and subjugated to numerous trials, tribulations, and tragedies. It is believed that though Chopins has a penchant for reading from an early age, and duly admitted the works of Maupassant of her era. Then there were economic needs to care for her children, which was yet another reason for Chopins to take up writing as a career, and lastly, she was supported from her circle of literary friends, who provided for a strong moral support towards her writing career. Chopin's first work was "Wiser Than A God" written in 1889, followed by a number of short stories. Chopin's first novel, "Begun At Fault" was published in 1894, followed by some more short stories titled "Bayou Folk". Nearly all these works brought Chopins immense fame and earned her some of the highest critical praise in her lifetime.

However, "The Awakening" was a piece of writing that would bring all these praises and acclaim to doom, as well as invite some of most severe outlash, and criticism to Chopins. Since this particular work was about a female character, Edna Pontellier, who failed to accept the norms of the male chauvinism, this would mark the end of Chopins critical reputation and literary career. The reasons were quite obvious. Chopins had chosen to select the topic of female liberty, of womanhood, on the oppression of women both in the sexual context as well as their emotional needs, subjects which were not permitted to by spoken by women. As a result Kate Chopins was labeled as an outcast by practically all of America of the 1899, virtually destroying the author in all respects including her individual status as a writer, as well as ending the career of one of the best literary female authors of the then era. Notwithstanding the barrage of criticisms and ostracization of her latest work, Kate Chopins left this world in 1904, only four years after the publication of "The Awakening". Medical reasons for her death were attributed to brain hemorrhage. (Christina, 2004; Wyatt, 1995)

Symbolism in Kate Chopin's "The Awakening"

One of the excellent aspects of Chopin's work is the use of symbols, which have added both color and meaning to the principle subject chosen by the author. Upon reading Chopin's work "The Awakening", this phenomenon is practically obvious, as each narrative segment comprises of a central and powerful symbol, which in turn provides for an added meaning to the text. The symbols used also specifically underline the subtle points which the author wishes to highlight. Hence, its imperative to comprehend the meaning of these symbols, to fully understand as well as appreciate the entire context of the story.

Though "The Awakening" makes use of a number of symbols including art, clothes, houses, food, learning to swim, the moon, porches and piano playing, sleep, mother and children, skirts and sunshades, birds, and the ocean, Gulf or sea. The following section will only take into account the last two, the symbols of birds and the ocean, or water both of which have been excellently used the author to depict her subtle meanings. (Sprinkle, 1998)

Birds As A Symbol

One of the most powerful symbols has been the use of birds, which serve as symbolic images in majority of the text. First, the birds symbolize the ability of the author to communicate, taking for example the mockingbird and parrot. This equally serves as the author's inability to speak out. Which gives way to yet another topic, that of entrapment. Just as the birds are caged or trapped, so is the author's principle character, Edna. Similarly, just as the birds have the desire for flight, for freedom out of their cages or pigeon houses, the female characters in Chopin's writing too present an equally strong desire for flight. In the context of awakening of the characters, birds serve as symbols of both flight and acts, truly depicting the context which Chopins desires the reader to observe and feel. Chopin's character Edna escapes her home, her husband, and in the end her life as well, thus symbolizing the flight of a bird to freedom. The use of birds as symbols has perhaps been depicted in the section where Mlle. Reisz lectures Edna on her needs for having strong wings, if she is to accomplish artistic endeavors. (Wyatt, 1995).

Water As A Symbol

Another excellent symbol used is that of ocean, or water wherein Kate Chopins has used to depict both freedom and escape. The depiction of water or ocean as a symbol has been used by Edna, the principle character, where she remembers the Kentucky fields of childhood as ocean; where she learns to swim in the gulf, and finally finds an excellent avenue for escape into the sea. The use of ocean as a symbol also depicts the character's source for self-awareness, as she expands her knowledge of the universe around her, as well as the insight to the inner obsessions with the self. One can also observe that the author has mentioned the sounds of the surf on various occasions, which serve as a comforting tone, both in New Orleans, which is at quite a distance from the sea or water, as compared to St. Louis in Missouri. Thus, water serves as a constant reminder and a beckoning call for Edna as she seeks her true identity and place in this world. (Wyatt, 1995).