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The modern voice behind this short story belongs to Kate Chopin, an American writer born in Missouri, in 1850. Growing up in a household managed by independent, clever women of French descent, she learned to look at society with a critical eye. In 1870, she married a cotton trader and relocated to Louisiana. Tragically, when her husband passed away in 1882, Chopin was left with financial responsibilities and six young children to care for. Upon returning to Missouri, she began writing to support her family, channelling her memories of the American South into literature.