Where everything is music: the influence of Arthur Schopenhauer on Frederic and Kate Chopin

Bernard H. Oakley
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:51:28 PDT

The influence of Arthur Schopenhauer's aesthetic philosophy on Harold Frederic's "The damnation of Theron Ware" and Kate Chopin's "The awakening" is studied. Although Chopin's indebtedness to Schopenhauer is well established, the influence on Frederic's novel has not yet been revealed. This thesis develops "original readings of 'The damnation of Theron Ware' that challenge and clarify existing interpretations."