...The Awakening is the story of Edna Pontellier discovering more about herself, and her increasing desire to achieve the ultimate freedom. Kate Chopin uses Edna to illustrate the problems concerning marriage. Chopin’s novel contrasts The Bible’s perspective of how a marriage should appear, yet also compares in the case of the Ratignolle’s marriage. The Ratignolle’s were a family who befriend the Pontellier’s and become foils of one another. When comparing The Bible to the marriages within The Awakening there are several stark contrasts concerning submission, separation, and love; however, there are some comparisons as well. Marriage is mutual respect and submission between two people. In the biblical perspective of marriage, both the husband and wife must “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (The Holy Bible, Ephesians 5:21). Submission does not mean one party has control of the other. Submission, in a biblical perspective, expresses a mutually beneficial relationship that is dependent on the cooperation of both the man and woman. In The Awakening, Leonce and Edna Pontellier’s marriage lacks mutual submission. Leonce...
Words: 1443 - Pages: 6
...In Kate Chopin’s, The Awakening, Edna Pontellier is used to highlight the oppressive, sexist roles imposed on women in 19th century Louisiana. Wife and mother of two, she is expected to be a perfect “mother-woman” like the creole women her family is surrounded by in Grand Isle. She is not prepared to sacrifice every fiber of her being for her husband, children, and home. Edna continually sacrifices her desires in order to keep the perfect Victorian household, so common in french creole communities. As time goes on, Edna no longer can conform to society’s norms, preferring to committing suicide rather than endure the burden of her time. At the beginning of the novel, we see that Edna has given up on her teenage desires, settled down with Mr. Pontellier, and had two children, reluctantly accepting her role in society. Edna gave into the...
Words: 535 - Pages: 3
...Suicide is most commonly viewed as the act of giving up completely or self-destructing, probably for good reason. This decision usually leaves behind broken families and friends with no closure or explanation. This topic is touched on in literature with various opinions. One such is Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening,” where Edna Pontellier, the novel’s protagonist, brings about her own end through her eventual suicide. In her case, the significance of her suicide is ambiguous, and although published over one hundred years ago, still creates a myriad of interpretations. The most accurate of these, however, is that Edna’s suicide demonstrates her growth over the course of the novel because it was Edna’s only viable solution for herself and the protection of her husband and children, and...
Words: 1421 - Pages: 6
...Rites of Passage 02/18/10 The Awakening The Role of Art in Edna’s Life Throughout The Awakening by Kate Chopin, art becomes a symbol of freedom for Edna. Even though Edna uses art as an escape from her husband, Léonce Pontellier, it also symbolizes failure. Edna believes that if she becomes an artist she will achieve the independence that she desires. She learns about the power that art can have on someone from Mademoiselle Reisz. Mademoiselle Reisz views art as a test of individuality. Edna is unable to pass the test because she incapable of defending her individuality against society and social rules. As Edna makes progress in her paintings and illustrations, she also grows as an individual. Music also becomes a symbol of freedom for Edna. Through the arts, Edna is able to create an independence from her husband. In The Awakening, Edna sees the role that music plays in women’s lives through Mademoiselle Reisz and Adèle Ratignolle. Having two different women that play music, allows Edna to see two paths that she can take to achieve her art and independence. Edna’s friend, Adèle Ratignolle, plays the piano to keep her husband and children happy. Edna enjoys when Adèle Ratignolle plays the piano, but she prefers listening to Mademoiselle Reisz because she thinks Reisz pieces are powerful. When she listens to Mademoiselle Reisz, she discovers unexplored emotional territories. Chopin writes “The very first chords which Mademoiselle Reisz struck upon the piano sent a keen...
Words: 542 - Pages: 3
...In literature, we often see a character sacrifice or forfeit something significant to them because of their beliefs. The Awakening showcases the character of Robert Lebrun; a young man who sacrifices his love for a woman named Edna. Robert’s sacrifice of Edna’s love because she doesn’t fit his domestic expectations supports the meaning of the novel as a whole, which is the struggle of an individual against societal and domestic expectations. Towards the beginning of the novel, we see that Robert starts to develop feelings for Edna during their stay at Grand Isle. These feelings, however, as it is later revealed by Ms. Reiz, scare Robert because he has never felt anything like them before. Because of this fear, he ‘flees’ to Mexico, while...
Words: 420 - Pages: 2
...“The years that are gone seem like dreams—if one might go on sleeping and dreaming—but to wake up and find—oh! well! Perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer, rather than to remain a dupe to illusions all one’s life.” Even though Edna’s awakening leads her to suffer from the wisdom and self-awareness it affords her, the year of joy and understanding that accompanies this suffering is worth more to Edna than a lifetime of the semi-conscious submission that defined her former existence. According to Edna, to live with self-awareness, possessed and controlled only by one’s own soul, offers an existence far richer than a life lived according to the restricting “illusions” that are imposed by the expectations of others. Edna Pontellier is a respectable woman of the late 1800s who not only acknowledges her sexual desires, but also has the strength and courage to act on them. Breaking through the role appointed to her by society, she discovers her own identity independent of her husband and children. Many of Kate Chopin’s other stories feature passionate, unconventional female protagonists, but none presents a heroine as openly rebellious as Edna. The details and specifics of Edna’s character are key to understanding the novel and its impact on generations of readers. At the beginning of the novel, Edna exists in a sort of semi-conscious state. She is comfortable in her marriage to Léonce and unaware of her own feelings and ambitions. Edna has always been a romantic...
Words: 759 - Pages: 4
...In the Awakening, we see the change of a woman, and in the process from her start to her downfall, we see sacrifices made , in which her values are revealed. As the novel progresses, the main character- Edna Pontellier seems to alter her values as she sacrifices the things she once valued the most for her own satisfaction. At the start of the novel, Edna is portrayed as a modest, moralistic housewife, who values her children above all, and she strongly values her image. Edna Pontellier valued others’ perception of her. Edna was a very affluent housewife, who maintained an image of the ideal housewife in the eyes of society. Edna cared for her children while her husband was away, and made her marriage out to be perfect when in the presence of others, despite its struggle behind closed doors....
Words: 526 - Pages: 3
...Social acceptance or freedom, love or lust, these conflicts arise in The Awakening by Kate Chopin as Edna Pontellier struggles with her internal conflicts. In a time where women are expected to be subordinates, Edna begins to defy the standards and her oppressive husband. The first set of foils include Robert and Alcee, or love and lust respectively. In addition, compliance and individualism are exemplified by two polar characters: Adèle Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz. These women act as foils and provide references to the reader in understanding Edna’s awakening. On one hand, Adèle epitomizes the ideal woman of the nineteenth century, but Reisz represents the feminist movement; Robert and Alcee also develop as foils that impact Edna. Which...
Words: 699 - Pages: 3
...Feminism and The Awakening Gender discrimination and feminism played a great role in the novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin. This novel was highly controversial when it was first published. “The Awakening deals with the condition of the nineteenth century woman in marriage, and has been more recently rediscovered and recognized as an overtly feminist text for these same reasons.” (Marquand) This novel was written during a time where a women’s place in society was at home taking care of the children and providing for the husband. This novel, contains the obstructions, the victories and the defeats that Edna dealt due to the demanding requirements of society. Society placed a lot of emphasis on women and in Edna’s case she was expected to be the perfect wife, perfect mother and bow her husband’s every need. Some women in The Awakening are complying with what society expects of women, characters such as Adele plays right into what society believes women should be. Adele is a woman who embodies what society all the qualities of what a woman-mother should be. Edna defies the expectations of society to find her own freedom. Although Edna's suicide seems to be a waste of her time and energy for her tussle against society and the status quo. The Awakening by Chopin is known as one the first feminist novels and it led the way for future feminist novelist. The Awakening lays the foundation and inspires women to take charge of their lives to get whatever they want out of life...
Words: 2649 - Pages: 11
...In her daring novel The Awakening, Kate Chopin bravely exposes an unfamiliar attitude of feminism to an unprepared society in the form of Edna Pontellier. At the time, her work of fiction was not yet recognized as being respectable or even credible—due to the fact that the idea of feminism had not yet become popular. Since then, Edna Pontellier’s “awakening” has been viewed in a positive light by many modern feminist critics and described as an “intellectual and social” maturation or liberation of the self. However, while some of the symbols in which Edna’s “awakening”, overall progression, and personality may seem to exemplify and commendatory of classic feministic ideals and qualities—of freedom, independence, and equality, —a great many of them portray Edna and her egocentric doings as little more than selfish delusions causing her to lose a valuable, if conventional, life. Ultimately, the perverse behavior and deviant disposition exhibited by Edna—especially considering the standards of the time period she lived in—belie the very femininity attributed to her and, in my opinion, is the very antithesis of feminism. The term ‘feminism’ has many different uses and its meanings are often contested and changed throughout history. In the mid-to-late 1800’s, the time period in which the novel is set, feminism was used to refer to the “qualities of a woman”. Thus, with this definition and the context of the novel in mind, the analysis of Edna’s “qualities of a woman” becomes easier...
Words: 1345 - Pages: 6
...In the novel, The Awakening, by Katie Chopin, main character Edna Pontellier struggles to find her identity between being her outer self and her inner self. Her outer self, as Chopin describes, is the one that conforms based on society’s expectations of her. Edna’s inner self, on the other hand, is the one that questions her outer self and is authentic to who she truly is when free of society’s norms. As the novel progresses, Edna’s desire to identify more with her inner self rather than conforming to her outer self increases; Edna begins to devote more time towards her paintings and furthermore, moves out from her residency with her husband. However, in the process of accepting her inner self, Edna is no longer able to fit in as a functioning member of society. She as a result becomes frustrated and depressed. Furthermore, not even those who are closest to her (for example, Robert) are able to understand her needs and desires. As a result comes the ending: Edna’s ultimate death in a search for independence (her swim out to the sea). Such ending comes as a shock with no real solution for Edna other than death. However, such ending is conclusive because of its realistic parallels to society that Chopin is trying to highlight. Chopin’s ending of the book serves as a commentary of society’s expectations of women. Chopin’s main message, as highlighted through the ending, is the expectations society places onto women is an ultimatum forcing women to either conform to its norms or...
Words: 872 - Pages: 4
...Edna Pontellier from the story “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, openly showed her rebellious behavior against the custom and tradition of being a creole’s wife. She is a protagonist who acknowledged her sexual desires and had the courage to act on them. Edna discovered her own identity that’s independent of her husband and children by breaking through the role appointed to her by the society. At the beginning of the story, Edna exists in a semi-conscious state. She was unaware of her feelings and ambitions and she was comfortable being married to Léonce Pontellier. She has always been a romantic. At a very young age, she was enamored with a cavalry officer, was in love with a man visiting her plantation in her teens, and developed an infatuation...
Words: 500 - Pages: 2
...In her feminist novel The Awakening, Kate Chopin criticizes the sexist ideals of society. By drawing attention to the objectifying nature of 19th century marriage and romance, the confines of motherhood, and the negative reception of women’s self expression and individualism, Chopin advances her argument of the adversity women face. Throughout the novel, Chopin uses the Pontellier’s marriage- a thing of obligation to Edna, and an institution of control to Mr. Pontellier- to criticize marriage and the idea that women belong to their husbands. Chopin establishes early on that Edna, revealed to have married Mr. Pontellier to rebel against her family, feels no real love for her husband and only cares for her children somewhat despondently; she has no interest in being a tradition “mother woman.” Mr. Pontellier loves Edna,...
Words: 1052 - Pages: 5
...The Awakening Close Reading Discussion Questions Always reference page numbers as part of evidence for responses. Always add new vocabulary to your notes to expand your diction. Chapters 1 through 5 • What observations can be made from the cover? What might be meant by “The Awakening”? • What does the introductory paragraph/page introduce? Why? • Are there any symbols? • Character descriptions (What kind of husband/father is Mr. Pontellier? Mother/wife is Mrs. Pontellier? How is Mrs. Ratignolle described? Robert Lebrun?) • What is the setting (time and place)? How does it factor into the interactions of the characters? • Page 18, why is Edna crying. Find the best word from the text to describe what she is feeling? • Chapter 5, paragraph 4, how is Adele Ratignolle described? To what is this allusion referencing? • What is a Creole? Chapters 6 through 10 • How does the Chapter 6 relate to the title? • What is the significance of the sea? • What is chapter 6 saying about Edna’s emotional state? • Why does the author spend time referencing Edna’s childhood? • Lady in black and the lover imagery is referenced in the same paragraph, multiple times in these chapters, why? • What is the significance of Adele and Robert’s conversation on the way back from the beach? • Alcee Arobin is introduced as a character. Why? How does he contribute to the story? • Where is Vera Cruz? What is its significance...
Words: 996 - Pages: 4
...She continued to be an artist and express herself as Mademoiselle Reisz does. Since her “awakening” it began to isolate her from other more and more, it also led her to a state of solitude. Her awakening also led her to good elements at first, yet she doesn't genuinely know what she wanted to do throughout her awakening. Every time something happened, she went along with it even though she had no intention of it happening, such as with Alcee Arobin where she had sexual relations with him with little known about him. Edna had no idea what was going to happen so she did whatever kept her satisfied. Over time her friends began to go against her once they found out what she did with Alcee which was not a good individual to Edna. Her friend Adèle Ratignolle began to convince her back to her normal way of living, since she thought Edna was getting out of hand, such as cheating with another man and leaving her children behind. Edna didn’t listen to anyone who gave her orders or tried to stop her. Many individuals believe that she could have taken the advice from Adèle since she was getting out of hand. Not worrying about what others think is a great thing which Edna possessed, however when any advice is being offered and be so closed minded is a terrible thing. Farther into her awakening, more people began to be uneasy with Edna, especially Léonce who was afraid of everyone knowing what Edna had done with Alcee because it affected...
Words: 1566 - Pages: 7
