A green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door, kept repeating over and over: "Allez vous-en Allez vous-en Sapristi That's all right " He could speak a little Spanish, and also a language which nobody understood, unless it was the mocking-bird that hung on the other side of the door, whistling his fluty notes out upon the breeze with maddening persistence. Mr. Pontellier, unable to read his newspaper with any degree of comfort, arose with an expression and an exclamation of disgust. He walked down the gallery and across the narrow "bridges" which connected the Lebrun...

The story of this 1899 novel takes place 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.

The story of this novel takes place in Louisiana in the 1800s. Therese Lafirme is a young widow who is doing an able job running a plantation. David Hosmer, who runs the sawmill, falls in love with her, and she begins to return his affection. But Therese is also a devout Catholic, and when she finds that David has been divorced, she persuades him that the right thing to do is to retry to have a life with his ex-wife. David follows this advice, remarries Fanny (who is an alcoholic) and brings her back to live with him on the plantation. The novel explores the consequences of a loveless union,...

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. The novel's blend of...