The short story “A Pair of Silk Stockings” by Kate Chopin is about a woman named Mrs. Sommers who has gained an extra fifteen dollars and plans to use it for things that her children need. She thinks about buying them clothes and other necessities, but something changed when she comes across a pair of silk stockings in the store. That moment changes her mindset and instead of going through with her original plan, she starts spending the money on things that she desires. She buys the stockings, then some new shoes, magazines, enjoys a nice meal, and goes to the theatre. For once in a long time, she allows herself to experience comfort and freedom. Chopin implies that she has experienced this feeling before she gotten married. By the end of the story, when it’s all over, she wishes the moment could last forever.
Kate Chopin uses a lot of literary devices. One of the main literary devices Chopin uses is tactile imagery, especially when she describes how the stockings feel, when they’re described as soft and smooth, you can almost feel them on your fingertips. Another literary device Chopin uses in this story is symbolism. I believe the silk stockings represents a break from her normal life, because of the texture and how quickly her mind shifted after touching it, it gives a chance to “feel good” a double meaning. There is also irony in this story because she starts off planning to spend the money on her children but ends up spending it on herself and still feeling fulfilled.
I enjoyed this story because it felt very real and relatable. It shows how someone who is always taking care of others can forget about themselves. When Mrs. Sommers finally does something of herself, it feels human. I think a lot of people can relate to wanting just one moment where they don’t have to think about responsibilities and other people, even if it may look selfish or feel selfish.
What stood out to me the most was the way Chopin hints that Mrs. Sommer’s life before marriage and children may have been happier. The story mentions she had “better days” from in her past which made it seem like she had more freedom before her current life. This made me feel like she misses the past version of herself where she can be free. I would recommend this story to other students because it’s simple to read but it’s still full of detail that puts you in a different time and make you think. It mimics real life, especially when it comes to feeling trapped in your responsibilities or needing a break. It’s a short story but has a powerful meaning.
Get the story! “A Pair of Silk Stockings” is included in Kate Chopin: Complete Novels and Stories, which you can check out at BMCC’s Library, the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, or the Queens Public Library. You can also read the story online or download it as an ebook from Project Gutenberg, which has digitized an edition of The Awakening and Selected Short Stories that includes the story.
About the author This review is by Dominique.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
