The Awakening and Selected Stories

Unfolding in the sensuous environment of Southern Louisiana, The Awakening is an evocative story of self-discovery and female emancipation, as the young Edna Pontellier reclaims her own individuality, refusing to be defined by her roles of wife and mother. Widely censured at the time of its publication in 1899, the novel has since become one of the most popular classics in the American canon, and continues to tantalize readers with its powerful, ambivalent ending. Before the critical success of The Awakening in the 1970s, Kate Chopin was best known for her short stories, which had secured her reputation as a 'local colorist'. As testified by the selection in this volume, Chopin's stories reveal her as an observant, compassionate and often humorous writer, alert to the foibles, weaknesses and small triumphs of human nature.