copyright 1999, Sirpa Grierson

"Chapter 6: Late Nineteenth Century - Kate Chopin" Reuben, Paul P. PAL: Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide. Online. October 20, 2001. http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap6/chopin.html A resource guide that gives citations to many criticisms of The Awakening as well as study questions that accompany the novel. "Kate Chopin's The Awakening: A Critical Reception" Sprinkle, Russ. Domestic Goddesses. Online. October 20, 2001. http://www.womenwriters.net/domesticgoddess/sprinkle.htm Description of how the novel was received by the public at its publication in the year of 1899 and the reaction of Kate Chopin to that critical reception. "Next Stop– Paradise: An Analysis of setting in The Awakening" Griggers, Cody. Domestic Goddesses. Online. http://womenwriters.net/domesticgoddess/pdf/griggers.pdf An analysis of the use of Grand Isle, the Pontellier house, and the city itself in the novel and how Edna found that she herself and women in general have no real place in the world. "Symbols in The Awakening" Wyatt, Neal. Kate Chopin Study Text. Online. October 20, 2001. http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/symbols.htm A great source for students studying the symbolism in The Awakening. Discusses such themes as the ocean, birds, and the moon. "The Really Lost Generation" Kauffman, Stanley. Twentieth Century Literary Criticism. Vol. 14. Ed. James E. Person, Jr. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1984. A brief summary of authors whose works were ignored or shunned when initially published. Discussion of Kate Chopin specifically addresses imagery in The Awakening. "The Awakening as Naturalistic Fiction" Pizer, Donald. Southern Literary Journal. Online. October 20, 2001. http://lion.chadwyck.com/lion_ref_abell/fulltext?ACTION=byid&ID=R01510218&source=config2.cfg An inquiry into the question of Edna Pontellier's identity as a woman, a wife and a lover. A look at the forces that influence Edna to feel alienated from her surroundings. Reading Activities (compiled by Charlotte Hansen) The Joy That Kills. Dir. Tina Rathborne. Films for the Humanities, 1988. This film adaptation of “The Story of an Hour” would provide students with an opportunity to see another of one Chopin’s stories in action. This would give them a chance to see the Creole culture and the rigid structures of Chopin’s society. Kate Chopin: A Re-Awakening 1999. Public Broadcasting Station. 18 Feb. 2005 < http://www.pbs.org/katechopin/program.html.> PBS did a show on Kate Chopin in 1999. The show particularly discusses The Awakening since it was once of Chopin’s most famous works. Clips are provided on this site of the show and if the teacher wants to show the entire program in class, it can be obtained by contacting their local PBS station. Website links to other Chopin sites, a chronology of Chopin’s life, some of her other short stories, and the transcript of the show are also provided. Kate Chopin’s The Awakening 2004. University of Alabama. 8 Feb. 2005 http://bama.disted.ua.edu/en373/assignment%20thirteen.htm This is a plan for college students doing independent study on The Awakening. Good prompt questions are provided that teachers could use at the beginning of class. They could also be used for essay questions at the end of the unit. Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: Chopin, Realism, and Local Color in late 19th Century America 3 December 2003. National Endowment for the Humanities. 8 Feb. 2005 <http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=523.> This lesson plan will introduce students to literary realism and how it is played out in The Awakening. It also discusses the importance culture plays in Chopin’s writing. This website also provides a great activity for students to research local color and regionalism themselves by going to websites provided. This is a good “hands-on” strategy for teaching students about influences on Chopin’s writing. Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: No Choice but Under? 3 December 2003. National Endowment for the Humanities. 8 Feb. 2005 http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=522. This lesson plan provides a good background to Kate Chopin as a writer before students begin reading The Awakening. The site provides many useful links on Chopin and Louisiana that teachers could use before teaching the lesson. It also discusses realism and Creole culture. Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: Searching for Women & Identity in Chopin’s The Awakening 3 December 2003. National Endowment for the Humanities. 8 Feb. 2005 http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=524. This lesson plan will help students understand the roles of women around the turn of the century. Students will explore the nature of Edna and Robert’s “free” relationship, and whether or not it will work. Many activities and resources are included for the teacher such as a rubric for students to keep track of the characters and their relationship to Edna. Also, students are provided with a chance to re-write the story’s ending. “The Awakening: Kate Chopin (1850-1904).” Knowledge Notes Student Guides 2002:Literature Online. Proquest Information and Learning Company. Harold B. Lee Library, Provo, Utah. February 17, 2005 http://lion.chadwyck.com/searchFulltext.do?id=EALKN145&divLevel=0&queryId=../session/1108693113_9845&area=ref&forward=critref_ft. This site is a great reference for students to get acquainted to The Awakening. It introduces the author, has a summary of the story, provides a list of the characters, discusses the style of The Awakening, and even has themes and motifs to look for in The Awakening. It also provides a chapter-by-chapter discussion of themes and possible quotes students could use in essays on The Awakening. Bauman, Harriet J. French Creoles Louisiana: An American Tale. Harriet J. Bauman. Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute 14 Jan. 2005 http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1992/2/92.02.02.x.html. Harriet Bauman provides an intensive lesson plan on Creoles. If the teacher really wants to immerse the students into the world of Chopin, this would be an excellent source. First, there is a timeline of the history of Louisiana, then there is an in-depth description of many cultural items of the Creoles, and finally Bauman provides the teacher with six different objectives depending upon the teaching strategies of the teachers. Bourn, Bryan D. “Louisiana Local Color: Short Stories of Alice Dunbar-Nelson and Kate Chopin.” 14 Jan. 2005 http://www.vsold.com/localcolor.html. This paper discusses the short stories of Alice Dunbar-Nelson and Kate Chopin. Teachers can use this to introduce students to some of Chopin’s other works as well as opening them to the concept of local color. Chopin, Frederic. “Prelude #7 and #4.” 9 Feb. 2005. Pierre Schwob. Classical Music Archives. Classical Music Archives. 9 Feb. 2005 http://www.classicalarchives.com/chopin.html#chopin_piano_preludes. All of Chopin’s preludes are included on this site, but the specific pieces that are pertinent to The Awakening are Preludes #4 and #7. These two pieces are played in the novel. The teacher could play these clips after the students have read about Mdme. Reisz playing these pieces. Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” Neal Wyatt. English 384. Virginia Commonwealth University. 9 Feb. 2005 http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/hour/. This is one of Chopin’s most celebrated short stories. Students can get another taste of Chopin’s ironic writing. Teachers can teach this story after teaching The Awakening to round out students’ understanding of Chopin’s works. Chopin, Kate. “A Respectable Woman.” Neal Wyatt. English 384. Virginia Commonwealth University. 9 Feb. 2005 http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/respect.htm. This is a link to one of Kate Chopin’s short stories “A Respectable Woman.” Students can see more of Chopin’s writing after reading The Awakening. Cook, Jan and Carey. Vocabulary University. 9 Feb. 2005 http://www.vocabulary.com/VUctawakening.html. This site has a chapter-by-chapter list of vocabulary words that teachers could quiz their students on in The Awakening. Teachers can use the vocabulary during each chapter to focus the student’s comprehension of the text and to introduce them to unfamiliar words. Evans, Patricia. Southern Literature: Women Writers James Madison University. 14 Jan. 2005 http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/southwomen.htm. This page discusses the role of southern women writers, particularly during the Southern Renaissance. It introduces teachers to other southern women writers that were contemporaries of Chopin. Possibly, the teacher could use this information and make a unit of Southern Women Writers for the students to learn about after reading The Awakening. Francis, Dorene. The Struggle for Women’s Rights in the 1800’s. Dorene Francis. University of Iowa 14 Jan. 2005 http://www.uiowa.edu/~socialed/lessons/women/women.htm. An investigation into the rights women had during the 1800s and a look at those who fought for more rights. This site provides a good background for the world of The Awakening. Although Chopin wasn’t directly involved with the Women’s Rights Movement, her writing reflects many of the ideas of the movement. Students can make connections between Chopin and the Women’s Rights Movement by exploring prominent figures during this era. Hanlon, Tina L. Study Questions on The Awakening by Kate Chopin Ferrum College. 14 Jan. 2005 http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=524. Tina L. Hanlon provides a list of good study questions on The Awakening. Most of the questions would be suitable for essay questions after reading the text. Howard, Anne Bail. “A Woman Far Ahead of Her Time.” Anne Woodlief. English 384, Women Writers. 14 Jan. 2005 www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/Kate_c.htm. This article provides a great background on Kate Chopin as a woman and writer. Not only does it have biographical information, it also discusses her writing and influences on her writing. As a teacher, one could either use this information to introduce Kate Chopin in a lesson plan or one could break up the sections on the site and have students read the information and report to the class themselves. Jung, Ashton. “Creole in Black and White.” 11 Nov. 2004 Todd McKinnon. Loyola University 14 Jan. 2005 http://www.loyno.edu/~kchopin This site discusses Creoles in Chopin’s The Awakening and the history of Creoles. This is a great background before reading The Awakening. Teachers can use this information to get a better background for themselves on Creoles, especially Creoles during Chopin’s time. They can also use this information for students to do a project on Creoles before beginning The Awakening. McKinnon, Todd. “Great Hurricane of 1893.” The Awakening. 11 Nov. 2004. Loyola University. 14 Jan. 2005 http://www.loyno.edu/~kchopin/Hurricane%201893.htm This site discusses the Cheniere hurricane of 1893. Cheniere is a vacation resort off the coast of Louisiana that Chopin was known to visit. The hurricane occurred six years before The Awakening was published. Cheniere is thought to be the Creole island that Chopin describes. The hurricane is a foil for the inner turmoil of Edna. A teacher could teach about the Hurricane to provide students with ideas for an essay. Quaas-Berryman. What Were Critics Saying at the Time? 20 Jan. 2001. Cerritos College.14 Jan.2005 http://www3.cerritos.edu/fquaas/resources/English102/awakeningcriticism.htm This site shows two contemporary criticisms of The Awakening. Students will learn that the book wasn’t well accepted because the book goes against the grain of how a woman should act during Chopin’s time. Robbs, Geri. “National Contexts – Turn of the Century America.” 11 Nov. 2004 Todd McKinnon. Loyola University 14 Jan. 2005 http://www.loyno.edu/~kchopin The history and conditions of America during The Awakening are presented. This site provides a good glimpse of America during this time. This site can be pre-reading material for The Awakening. Roy, Shelby. “Women’s Secondary Education.” 11 Nov. 2004 Todd McKinnon. Loyola University 14 Jan. 2004 http://www.loyno.edu/~kchopin This page shows how little women were educated during Chopin’s time. Statistical facts concerning college enrollment are provided. This information is of value because students can make connections between Edna and the statistical facts of women during her time. Shull, Sarah. “Music References in The Awakening.” 11 Nov. 2004 Todd McKinnon. Loyola University 14 Jan. 2004 http://www.loyno.edu/~kchopin This page discussed the pieces played in The Awakening by Mademoiselle Reisz. It discusses particularly Wagner’s opera, Tristan and Isolde. Since there are many music references in The Awakening, this information would be particularly useful for students wanting to pursue this motif in an essay. Shull, Sarah. “The Women’s Rights Movement from North to South.” 11 Nov. 2004 Todd McKinnon. Loyola University 14 Jan. 2004 http://www.loyno.edu/~kchopin This site provides background on the Women’s Rights Movement, tracing from 1848 to the 1890s. It also shows differences in the movement from North to South. Again, although Chopin didn’t directly play a role in the Women’s Rights Movement, her work reflects the struggles of a woman wanting more freedom. This page is especially applicable to Chopin because it shows how the movement affected women in the South. Teachers can use this article to demonstrate to students how the movement affected Chopin’s writing. Ward, Selena and Spain, Sarah. SparkNote on The Awakening. 9 Feb. 2005 http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/awakening/canalysis.html. This is a great site for a review and analysis of the major characters in The Awakening. Character behavior and motivations are discussed. Students can use this to reinforce what they’ve learned after reading the text. Ward, Selena and Spain, Sarah. SparkNote on The Awakening. 9 Feb. 2005 http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/awakening/study.html. This site provides students with questions that will spark their minds for the essay they will need to write at the end of the novel. They can use these questions to go back into the book and find a good topic for their essay. Wyatt, Neal. Historical and Cultural Background of The Awakening. Virginia Commonwealth University. 14 Jan. 2005 http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/katetime.htm. This article explains the changing times of Kate Chopin. It speaks of the Creole culture, the Industrial Revolution, and Women’s Rights amongst other historically significant facts. For a general overview, this would make a good handout for students to read before coming to the pre-reading discussion of The Awakening. The teacher can then fill in more information on this time period. Wyatt, Neal. Myths and Fairy Tales: Context of The Awakening Virginia Commonwealth University. 9 Feb. 2005 http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/myths.htm. Wyatt provides a background of myths and fairy tales that could be applied to The Awakening. He introduces many contexts such as Aphrodite, Artemis, and Echo and Narcissus. Teachers can present this information to spark students’ interest for essays. Wyatt, Neal. Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism, and Local Color: The Literary Context of The Awakening. Virginia Commonwealth University. 14 Jan. 2005 http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/katemove.htm. This page shows the different movements that were in effect while Chopin wrote The Awakening. This will give students a good context of the literary movements that might have affected the work. The teacher can use this information in conjunction with the lesson plan on Chopin, Realism, and Local Color in late 19th Century America. Wyatt, Neal. “Ways of Interpreting Edna’s Suicide: What the Critics Say.” English 384. Virginia Commonwealth University. 14 Jan. 2005 http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/suicide.htm. Neal Wyatt provides summaries of some critics’ interpretations of Edna’s suicide at the end of the book. All together, there are seven critics listed. After having a guided discussion on the meaning behind Edna’s suicide, the teacher can provide students with this article.

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