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    A Study Guide for Kate Chopin's "A Pair of Silk Stockings"
    A Study Guide for Kate Chopin's "A Pair of Silk Stockings"
    A Study Guide for Kate Chopin's "A Pair of Silk Stockings"
    Ebook39 pages26 minutes

    A Study Guide for Kate Chopin's "A Pair of Silk Stockings"

    By Gale and Cengage

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    About this ebook

    A Study Guide for Kate Chopin's "A Pair of Silk Stockings," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Short Stories for Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Short Stories for Students for all of your research needs.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCengage Learning - Gale
    Release dateJul 27, 2016
    ISBN9781535816984
    A Study Guide for Kate Chopin's "A Pair of Silk Stockings"

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      A Study Guide for Kate Chopin's "A Pair of Silk Stockings" - Gale

      12

      A Pair of Silk Stockings

      Kate Chopin

      1897

      Introduction

      Known in her lifetime as a writer of local color for her realistic portrayals of the habits, dialect, and culture of American southerners in Louisiana, Kate Chopin established her reputation as a popular author of short stories, including A Pair of Silk Stockings, published in Vogue magazine in 1897. Chopin was keenly focused on the experiences, frustrations, and psychology of women, particularly within the context of marriage and motherhood. These interests are explored in A Pair of Silk Stockings, in which the protagonist unexpectedly finds herself fifteen dollars richer. A wife and mother, Mrs. Sommers contemplates the practical ways the money should be spent. Her need to make sure these few dollars are spent as wisely as possible underscores the family's struggling economic status and lower class standing. Shoes must be repaired, and fabric purchased for the making of shirts.

      Mrs. Sommers thoughts reveal her struggles as a mother and her memories of a time in the recent past, before she was married, when she was much better off financially. Although apparently dedicated to her frugal and practical plan, Mrs. Sommers happens upon a bin of silk stockings, and her budget-conscious concerns evaporate. At a turning point in the story, she buys herself a pair of silk stockings. From this point on, Mrs. Sommers spends the rest of the day treating herself, to new shoes, to a pair of gloves, to expensive magazines, and to lunch in an upscale restaurant. After lunch, Mrs. Sommers takes in a play at the theater. In concise language, Chopin depicts a woman overwhelmed with responsibilities who, given the chance for a momentary escape from her domestic burdens, seizes upon a course of action that runs counter to her intentions at the beginning of the story. The brief narrative conveys Mrs. Sommers's intense dissatisfaction with her current existence and her attempt to flee her troubles, if only for a short while. A Pair of Silk Stockings is also available in a 1996 collection of Chopin's work, A Pair of Silk Stockings, and Other Stories.

      Author Biography

      Chopin was born on February 8, 1850, in St. Louis, Missouri. Named Catherine O'Flaherty at

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