The Awakening and Selected Short Stories by Kate Chopin - The Awakening and Selected Short Stories by Kate Chopin is a collection of nine stories by American author, Kate Chopin. The Awakening was first published in 1899 and is considered an early work of feminist literature. It tells the story of Edna Pontellier, the wife of a New Orleans businessman, as she struggles to come to terms with her changing views on both femininity and motherhood and as a result, becomes at odds with the existing social concensus of the American South at the turn of the 20th century.Other short stories in this edition are; Beyond the Bayou; Ma'ame Pelagie; Desiree's Baby; A Respectable Woman; The Kiss; A Pair of Silk Stockings; The Locket; and, A Reflection.The Awakening is a novel by Kate Chopin, first published in 1899. Set in New Orleans and on the Louisiana Gulf coast at the end of the 19th century, the plot centers on Edna Pontellier and her struggle between her increasingly unorthodox views on femininity and motherhood with the prevailing social attitudes of the turn-of-the-century American South. It is one of the earliest American novels that focuses on women's issues without condescension. It is also widely seen as a landmark work of early feminism, generating a mixed reaction from contemporary readers and critics.