The document provides background information on Kate Chopin and her novel The Awakening. It states that Chopin wrote and published the novel in 1897-1898 and 1899, respectively. It was set in St. Louis, Missouri. Chopin was born in St. Louis in 1850 and married Oscar Chopin in 1870. They had several children together. Oscar died in 1882, leaving Kate a widow. This provides context that Kate Chopin was writing from her own experiences as a married woman and mother who then lost her husband. The document leaves the reader to predict what themes may be explored in The Awakening based on Chopin's life experiences.