A Literature Analysis of “A Pair of Silk Stockings”: Mrs. Somers or Mrs. Chopin? "A Pair of Silk Stockings" by Kate Chopin tells the tale of a woman who ventures out to purchase clothing for her children, but impulsively decides to spend the money on herself, showing expensive taste. In reading the story, one must ask if "A Pair of Silk Stockings" was a metaphor for Chopin's own life after her husband’s untimely death. In the beginning of the story, Mrs. Sommers, a poor and rather homely
with responsibilities of house chores and nurture. Along with self-deprivation, a woman’s opinion are silenced by the male dominating society, as she has no preference for an area of residency, The short stories, “A Wagner Matinee” and “A Pair of Silk Stockings” convey a similar view on a woman’s right to independence and opportunity due to sacrifices enforced by an oppressing society which depreciates self-value. The main characters in the two works go through life changing experiences, which transform
In the short story by author Kate Chopin called “A Pair of Silk Stocking,” the main character receives fifteen dollars which she wants to spend on her kids, ends up spending it all on herself. This story takes place in the 1890’s and back then fifteen dollars is equivalent to four hundred dollars now. The main character, Mrs. Sommers. Takes a day out and goes around town spending her money. She goes to the shops and buys a pair of silk stockings, which she had been wanting for awhile. Mrs. Sommers
phenomenal world and that nothing is added to your life. It is the reverse job of what a filter would do to all the troubles that one may encounter later in life. Realism is represented in Kate Chopin's short stories The Story of an Hour and A Pair of Silk Stockings. In both the short stories, the main characters get to face a dream/fantasy that they’ve always wanted to encounter; something rare that lasted only for a short amount of time. The freedom that each character got was some sort of new freedom
late 1800s to erase their status as lower than that of men. In Silk Stockings by Chopin, she reveals the story of Mrs. Sommers and her struggles to balance between temptations and responsibilities. On the other hand, Gilman talks about a woman going through mental illness and her attempts
Chopin's A Pair of Silk Stockings: Mrs. Sommers Mrs. Sommers, of Kate Chopin's "A Pair of Silk Stockings" faces a major Man-vs.-Society conflict. She is a perfect example of how humans are tempted by material gain, "the life of luxury", and the vicious way society judges things (or people). Society views people who live in the lap of luxury as "gods", they are above those who are not so fortunate. Anyone can fall prey to this common societal problem, even innocent "Little Mrs. Sommers". This is
In the late 1800's, the stories "The Yellow Wallpaper", "The Story of an Hour", and "A Pair of Silk Stockings" were published. Female authors wrote and published these stories amid Women's Suffrage. Women's Suffrage was a fight for equality between men and women that lasted nearly a century. Women of any profession, including authors, were not taken seriously during this time period. These stories are essential to representing the hardship that women faced. Each of the three stories reflect the misery
portrays them within her story lines and characters. She embodied in her writing the influence of the time period in which she lived in where women were often inferior to men and having sexual desires were inappropriate. In the short stories "A Pair of Silk Stockings", "A Respectable Woman" , "The Storm" and "At the Cadian Ball" Chopin maintains an over arching The main characters Mrs. Sommers unexpectedly posses fifteen dollars and plans to spend it on her children. When she goes shopping she starts
that can be viewed by all different types of people as right, wrong, or so trivial that it shouldn’t even be considered a choice, but merely a habitual action. In the short stories, “The Possibility of Evil,” written by Shirley Jackson, “A Pair of Silk Stockings,” by Kate Chopin and “Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver, each of the story’s central characters faces difficult choices that force each character to become oblivious to the fixed fine line between right and wrong, or better yet, move the
In the story “A Pair of Silk Stockings” By: Kate Chopin, she explores the stereotypical female role during the time period in which the story takes place. Chopin starts off by showing how happy and excited she is to be the owner of $15 and how (though considering the time, it was very true) was quite a lot of money for a single person to possess. She also tells how the main character, Mrs. Somers, now feels as if she is somewhat important and has a meaning in her life once again. This probably means
The Character of Mrs. Sommers in Chopin’s A Pair of Silk Stockings The attempt to escaping reality proves to be a timeless act in "A Pair of Silk Stockings" by Kate Chopin. The wishful Mrs. Sommers surprisingly finds herself with a sum of money unusually large for her circumstances and in her relishing and spending it reveals herself to be truly a woman of good intentions but who is weak for the intensity of the moment. Chopin has developed a character in Mrs. Sommers who plays out the fantasy
In "The Story of an Hour" and "A pair of silk stocking" Chopin illustrates how women face the consequences of never acquiring happiness in their lives if they follow the ways society expects them too. In "the story of an hour" Chopin discuss how getting married can lead you to live a life of anguish. In the beginning of the short story Mrs. Mallard revives terrible news that her husband has been recently killed, she "Wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment." This intense reaction is how society
women want to enjoy their wants selfishly. Ms. Sommers was attracted to a silk stocking that was on sale even though she knew it wasn’t a need, but a want. Kate uses imagery to create meaning to every object in the short story. “But she went on feeling the soft, sheeny luxurious things—with both hands now, holding them up to see them glisten, and to feel them glide serpent-like through her fingers” (Chopin). The silk stocking represents Ms. Sommer’s temptation for having something that suits her desires
Short Story Essay Greed comes from money and the greediness can make you forget your status in society. After viewing "A Pair of Silk Stockings" through Marxist lens, the author tries to explore the ideas of those who wish to live in the rich upper class of the society. The Marxist theory is a system of economic, social, and political philosophy which is based on the ideas that show social change in terms of economic factors. (1) In other words the Marxist theory is a class struggle between groups
shopping for her family but looking around seeing everyone else looks more suitable than she does and her clothes and things look shabby and old. Eventually she wants more for herself and stops thinking about everything else and stumbles across a pair of silk stockings because she was always budgeting Mrs. Sommers worried less about the coast if things and started treating her self to dinner, a movie, new gloves and shoes. These things give her a feel of belonging and assurance. She sees other woman in society
alternative lifestyle is not without consequence. Women who stray from expectations are ridiculed and lose faith in themselves. In her stories “A Pair of Silk Stockings” and “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin writes about the expected familial devotion of women and the spiritual death experienced as a result of challenging society. In “A Pair of Silk Stockings,” Chopin describes society’s ideal selfless
then, that freedom would be of great concern to Chopin, especially considering she is thought to be one of the earliest forerunners of modern feminism. Chopin also published another short story along the same theme as “The Story of an Hour."A Pair of Silk Stockings” was written in April of 1896. She celebrated exploring themes that
Hour”, “A Pair of Silk Stockings”, and “Desiree’s Baby” all implement Kate Chopin’s view of women in society. Throughout the short stories, Mrs. Mallard, Mrs. Sommers and Desiree all portrayed how women were dominated by their husband. The position of the women protagonist highlights the author’s view of woman in society because of how women were oppressed by their husbands in marriages. Chopin highlights how women acted as slaves to their husband throughout the short
story. In the short story, 'A Pair of Silk Stockings';, by Kate Chopin, the main character, Mrs. Sommers, after finding fifteen dollars plans do things with it for her kids, and her family. However, this all changed after, buying a pair of expensive silk stockings for herself. She just totally forgets about all the nice things she was going to do with the money for her kids, for instance buy them new cloths for once in their lives. Once she put those silk stockings on, she received a small taste
"Old Critics and New: The treatment of Chopin's The Awakening." The Authority of Experience: Essays in Feminist Criticism, eds. Arlyn Diamond and Lee R. Edwards. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1997. 2. Chopin, Kate. "A Pair of Silk Stockings" Elements of Literature. Orlando, Florida: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Inc., 1993 481-484 3. Moers, Ellen. Literary Women: Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1976 4. Q. Arpin, Susan Allen Toth. Elements of Literature, 5th Course. Orlando