The Awakening by Kate Chopin is a novel set in New Orleans and the Louisiana coast at the end of the nineteenth century. The story centers around a woman"s unhappy marriage, her adultery, and her struggle to reconcile her unorthodox views on femininity and motherhood with the prevailing social attitudes of the South. The book also includes some of Chopin"s best short work, including Beyond the Bayou, Ma"ame Pelagie, Desiree"s Baby, A Respectable Woman, The Kiss, A Pair of Silk Stockings, The Locket, and A Reflection.