In a moment of weakness (perhaps because Kate Chopin is a writer entirely new to me) I decided to seek out other interpretations of the short story A Pair of Silk Stockings only to encounter the idea that it is a critique of consumerism (which, if nothing else, would seem a little ahead of its time in 1896, although amusing considering it was published in the highly commercial Vogue magazine). In the story Mrs Sommers “one day found herself unexpectedly possessor of fifteen dollars,” and foregoing the items she originally intends to buy for her children, manages in the course of an afternoon to spend the sum entirely on herself. Is this symbolic of our desire for instant gratification as opposed to long-term responsibility? Perhaps, but a reading of the story which portrays Mrs Sommers as either a victim of seductive capitalism, or as a selfish and irresponsible mother seems deeply unsympathetic to me.
She does not, for example, immediately rush to spend this unusual sum:
“For a day or two she walked about apparently in a dreamy state, but really absorbed in speculation and calculation. She did not wish to act hastily, to do anything she might afterwards regret.”
The pair of silk stockings she buys for herself first are not an impulsive indulgence but a calculated cost (“And still there would be enough left for silk stockings”). After buying the stockings, however, she goes immediately to a fitting room and puts them on – “How good was the touch of the raw silk to her flesh!” – and only then her spending spree begins: new shoes, gloves, a meal in a restaurant and a visit to the theatre.
To condemn or pity this behaviour is, of course, easy if you have never been poor: budgeting is a skill greatly admired by those who only have to save up for luxuries. Mrs Sommers may turn spendthrift for a day, but I was cheering her on. This is a woman, we are told, who can never relax:
“The needs of the present absorbed her every faculty. A vision of the future like some dim, gaunt monster sometimes appalled her, but luckily tomorrow never comes.”
Her purchases are more about momentarily relieving the tension caused by financial anxiety than rampant consumerism:
“She was not thinking at all. She seemed for the time to be taking a rest from that fatiguing and laborious function and to have abandoned herself to some mechanical impulse that directed her actions and freed her of responsibility.”
When she wishes at the end that the “cable car wold never stop anywhere, but go on and on with her forever” it is because she knows her escape is ephemeral and she must return to the life she led before.
‘A Pair of Silk Stockings’ comes with another four stories, all of which are excellent, and Chopin has been duly added to my list of writers to explore further.
1streading's Blog 
December 17, 2016 at 8:09 am |
You’ve definitely sold me on this one, Grant – it sounds irresistible! I’ve just checked my volume of Chopin on the kindle and it doesn’t appear to include this story. A good excuse to treat myself to another of these lovely LBCs.
December 19, 2016 at 11:48 am |
Yes – the other three stories included are all very good as well.
December 17, 2016 at 9:11 am |
I read The Awakening earlier this year and it was a strangely light yet extremely deep piece of literature. I suspect silk stockings furthers Chopin’s presentation of the ‘bad’ mother, the woman who selfishly fulfils her own desires instead of deferring to the desires of others (children, husband). It is in my collection, though I didn’t read it, but it sounds like a great read. Chopin, I think, has the ability to convey a great deal with much economy, and her work has an almost insidious quality to it in that it lingers, burrows perhaps, long after the reading. Lovely review Grant.
December 19, 2016 at 11:50 am |
That’s true – A Pair of Silk Stockings is not long but I felt it left a powerful impression. It does sound like The Awakening has a similar theme – I must read that soon.
December 17, 2016 at 5:02 pm |
Chopin’s an excellent writer. I read this as a slightly feminist tail, with the woman of course having taken back seat while providing for her family and being unable to resist indulging herself when she has the chance. Marriage was for many a trap and this is her chance to escape, even if just for a little while…
December 19, 2016 at 11:52 am |
That’s very much how I read it – although I think it would apply to anyone who has struggled by on very little. (In fact, I was reminded of the scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where he finds the money!)
January 2, 2017 at 4:22 am |
I have to echo Belinda and Karen… Chopin is an excellent writer and was superb at constructing prose with such fine tuned brevity yet achieved depth and many layers. I love her wry wit… it’s interesting to chart her career through her stories and how she became more daring in challenging the societal norms. And yes youi must read The Awakening.
January 2, 2017 at 7:43 pm |
When pushed (by Jacqui) to name my top three, Chopin was included.