内容简介
TheAwakening,astheauthoress'lastmasterpiece,alsosharingonefatewithHardy'slastone,wasfinallyrecognizedandevenpraisedas"beautifullywritten"byEdmundWilson,and"exquisite"and"sensitive"byWillaCather.How
作者简介
KateChopin,wasbornKatherineO'FlahertyinSt.LouisonFeburary8,1851,ofaprosperousIrish-bornmerchantfatherandanaristocraticCreolemother.Shestudiedpiano,wrotepoetry,andreadDickens,Austen,Goethe,deStael,andtheBrontes.Despiteherfreespirit--shewasoncenicknamedthe"littlestrebel"foryankingdownaUnionflag--Kategrewtobealeadingsocialbelle,admiredforherwitandbeauty.In1870shemarriedOscarChopin.Matrimonydidnotquellherindependence;shedressedunconventionally,tooklongunchaperonedwalks,andsmokedcigarettes.Intheirtwelveyearsofmarriedlife,sheboresixchildren,anduponOscar'ssuddendeathin1882shetookoverthemanagementoftheChopinfamilyplantationinNatchitoches,Louisana.Sheturnedseriouslytowritingshortlythereafter,publishingstoriesinVogueandAtlanticMonthly.Shewroteanovel,AtFault(1890),BayouFolk,acollectionofstories(1894),ANightinAcadie,asecondcollection(1897),andhermasterpieceTheAwakening(1899),whicharousedanationalscandalforits"indecency."Bannedbylibraries,itevenpreventedheradmissionintotheSt.LouisFineArtsClub--eventhoughKateChopinwasfamousforherliterarysalon,whichattracteddistinguishedartistsandwritersfromalloverthecountry.Alwayssensitivetocriticism,ChopinwasdevastatedbythefurorthatsurroundedthepublicationofTheAwakening,anditsharshreceptionultimatelycausedhertostopwriting.Whenshediedin1904,shehadbeendeniedtherecognitionshedesperatelywantedandrichlydeserved.
