Kate Chopin is one of the best writers ever. She is worth reading for that fact alone. (Period)
Chopin's stories are culturally significant for a diverse and stirred up post Civil War Louisiana society. They are humanly sigificant. She is sensitive and fair-minded.
Chopin has been criticized for not holding 21st Century values and criticizing the racist/sexist/elitist world she lived in. However, she has done better. She has reported things 'as they were'. That's what makes these stories important. (If she were to be editorial, I'd wonder what she has to say about us. I doubt she'd see social improvement.)
Chopin was lost in obscurity following her novella, The Awakening. Rediscovery, awareness, and interest came in the '70's, catalyzed by the feminist movement.
I discovered Chopin in an anthology, Forms of the Novella (David H. Richter, 1981, Knopf), which contains The Awakening. (Buy Forms of the Novella next.) My reaction was interesting. Despite recognizing the greatness of Chopin as a writer, I was deeply disturbed by this story and doubted whether I wanted to read more. Learning of the feminist connection also made me uneasy. It made me think she had an 'agenda'. Curiosity prevailed. My trepidation was inappropriate. Chopin is the least sexist writer I can think of. She laughs at men & women, and cries with them, equally.
These stories are delightful! If you can read, read them! Even the ones that are fluffy and predictable are worth the read (see my first sentence).
