The Awakening and Selected Stories of Kate Chopin - (Enriched Classics) (Paperback)

About the Book

These Pocket Books Enriched Classics editions feature concise Introductions that give important background information; a chronology of the author's life and career; a timeline of significant events that provide the book's historical context; an outline of key themes and plot points; and detailed commentary and explanatory notes. Reissue.

Book Synopsis

Enriched Classics offer readers accessible editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and commentary. Each book includes educational tools alongside the text, enabling students and readers alike to gain a deeper and more developed understanding of the writer and their work.

When The Awakening was first published in 1899, critical outcry proved so vociferous that the novel was banned for decades. Now praised as a classic of early feminist literature, Kate Chopin's final work rejects conventional female roles and celebrates a woman's journey towards self-awareness. As the heroine, Edna Pontellier, awakens to her own desires, she begins to question her ideas about marriage, motherhood, society, art, and the nature of love itself. A milestone in American fiction, The Awakening is an unforgettably poignant novel of self-discovery that has inspired generations of readers.

Enriched Classics enhance your engagement by introducing and explaining the historical and cultural significance of the work, the author's personal history, and what impact this book had on subsequent scholarship. Each book includes discussion questions that help clarify and reinforce major themes and reading recommendations for further research.

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About the Author

Kate Chopin grew up studying piano and reading Austen, Dickens, Goethe, and the Brontes. After birthing six children in twelve years, she became serious about writing and began to publish stories in Vogue and Atlantic Monthly. Chopin is known for her masterpiece, The Awakening, in addition to her novel, At Fault, and two collections of short stories, Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie.