Kate Chopin is a widely considered a forerunner to the feminist authors of the twentieth century. Focusing on themes of race and gender, her short stories largely center on life in rural Louisiana. In “A Pair of Silk Stockings,” a young woman unexpected finds herself with fifteen dollars. Inspired by her newfound wealth, she ignores her natural impulses and indulges in a day of luxurious abandon. A wistful rumination on loss and the illusion of control, “A Pair of Silk Stockings” is Chopin at her absolute best.
