ABSTRACT:Feminist literature is a special genre in the American literature and plays an important role in the history of American literature. Kate Chopin is regarded as one of the first generation of feminist writers and her works has the significant influence in the man-dominated American society in the later nineteenth century. 

　　　The thesis aims to study female consciousness in Kate Chopin’s short stories: The Story of an Hour, A Pair of Silk Stockings, and Madame Célestin’s Divorce. The first part is about the background information of Kate Chopin and a brief introduction to the three short stories. The second part focuses on the lack and the self-constraint of female consciousness at the beginning of the three short stories and analyses the situation of their lives. The third part gives an analysis of the awakening of their female consciousness as well as the reasons of their awakening. The forth part discusses their fate after the awakening of their female consciousness. The fifth part summarizes the significance of their female consciousness and the problem they face after their awakening. Furthermore, it discusses the influence and the value of their awakening in Chopin’s times and the contemporary society.   

Key words: female consciousness; awakening; women; freedom

摘 要:凯特·肖邦是美国从事女性文学第一代作家，在19世纪末美国这样一个男权专制的社会具有重要的地位，曾被现代的文学批评家们称为美国现实主义作家的先锋。

　　　论文主要分析凯特·肖邦短篇小说《一小时的故事》,《一双丝袜》和《塞莱斯坦夫人离婚》中的女性意识。论文的第一部分介绍肖邦的家庭背景，在美国文学史上的地位以及这三篇短篇小说的内容梗概,为后来的分析提供背景资料。第二部分剖析凯特·肖邦短篇小说中女性们开始时女性意识的缺失和压抑,分析三位女性形象的现实生活情况。第三部分主要分析凯特·肖邦短篇小说中女性们在社会生活中女性意识的逐渐觉醒，以及她们觉醒的原因。第四部分剖析凯特·肖邦短篇小说中女性们在女性意识觉醒后的命运。第五部分总结凯特·肖邦这三篇小说中女性身上体现出的女性意识的意义，以及她们觉醒后的命运所揭示出的问题和这种女性意识对当时社会和当今社会的影响和价值。

关键词：女性意识；觉醒；女性；自由