Browsing by Author "Salim, Diana"

This thesis studies three of Kate Chopin’s stories through narrative aesthetics and ethics, in which the focus is entirely on female characters. These stories include the author’s novel, The Awakening (1899), and two of her short stories: “A Pair of Silk Stockings” (1897), and “The Story of an Hour” (1894). The goal is to study the aesthetics of Chopin’s works, how the author has composed these stories, and how this approach also proposes ethical criticism on the theme that arises from these three works, which concern gaining a greater sense of self. The term narrative aesthetics comes from James Phelan (2007), and this approach is also supported by the aesthetic approach to literature, which is discussed by Peter Lamarque (2013). With this combined method, the analysis focuses on specific elements that have purpose in terms of the whole narrative. These elements are examined through the female protagonists and the depiction of the narrators, since the stories closely follow Edna Pontellier, Mrs. Sommers, and Louise Mallard through third-person narration. This aims to exhibit how an aesthetic approach to Chopin’s texts unearth a thematic vision for ethical criticism as well. Narrative ethics brings an ethical interpretation of what the aesthetics of the narratives present, and it is built on feminist discussion. The method comes from James Phelan’s explicatory article Narrative Ethics (2013), which provides four narratives levels for a moral interpretation. These concern the character, narrator, the role of the author, and the role of the reader. Another important source is Martha C. Nussbaum’s introduction to Love’s Knowledge (1992), which also poses guiding questions for a moral inquiry in emphasizing both form and content. This approach follows the aesthetic study to demonstrate the significance of the unearthed theme, namely, gaining a sense of self. With the ethics of the told and telling, which follow the analysis sections, the thesis discusses the significance of the female protagonists’ awakenings in their vivid connection to their surroundings and to themselves. The thesis first analyses The Awakening for its significant elements and aesthetic principles to exhibit how Edna Pontellier gains a sense of self. This analysis is followed by the ethical reading presented by Phelan and Nussbaum. The same method is applied to the short stories to demonstrate further the aesthetics of Chopin. “Silk Stockings” and “The Story” showcase how the author’s works are built on the presentation of awakenings of both body and mind. The study shows how Chopin attempts to engage the reader with her narrative gaps and descriptions of the surroundings and their effect on the characters and how Chopin carefully builds her narratives to show an awakened body and mind. This combination then places significant importance on gaining a greater sense of self and the connection of this self to one’s surroundings, which give a timeless aspect to Chopin’s stories.