Cigars In The Awakening

Sigmund Freud, one of the most famous psychologists of all time, often smoked twenty cigars a day, and said that cigars were symbolic of masculinity. In The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Leonce and other males express their male dominance by smoking cigars. It was not really socially acceptable for women to smoke, but Edna’s husband often exercises this freedom. Even Robert, whom Edna is in love with, cannot resist these cigars. The symbol of cigars works as part of the antagonist in the story because it represents gender inequality. What is a cigar? A cigar is a tobacco product that has been smoked throughout history. It was seen as many things, such as normal, high class, sophisticated, or masculine. Cigars are valued by Leonce and Robert in The Awakening. Robert would even go out of his way to get these cigars, as not even he can avoid them. Chopin writes “Robert rolled a cigarette. He smoked cigarettes because he could

Why did Chopin decide to use this as a symbol, why not an article of clothing, or a drink? She uses this as a symbol because it is something women cannot do. If Edna was seen smoking, she would be questioned and probably labeled as strange or deranged. Right after Leonce falsely orders his wife to tend to their child, he smokes a cigar. The cigar and the ability to order his wife without question, go hand in hand. By puffing this cigar, the reader understands societal mentality, and right after Mr. Pontellier flexes his freedom, Edna begins to cry. This male dominance is the main conflict in the book. Chopin was trying to convey a message, and to do so, she has to symbolically write about things such as male dominance. This object perfectly serves its role in Chopin’s message, and was the perfect example of a society powered by men. The cigar was a straightforward, understandable, and very well known object to use in her