The Awakening by Kate Chopin is a short novel, published in 1899. Now considered a feminist classic, it was widely criticized, even reviled when first published.

The heroine, a young Creole named Edna Pontellier, searches for meaning outside her accepted roles of wife and mother. She also seeks sexual fulfillment and independence.

It’s more accurate to say that The Awakening was silenced rather than was banned after initial publication, as is commonly believed. Critics were brutal; one called the story “poison,” which captured the prevailing sentiment of others. Read More→