In many works of literature, an author highlights or exposes the values of a society or culture through the use of characters which are alienated from that same culture or society. These characters can be alienated through many means, whether it be by gender, race, or social class. In the case of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, the main protagonist is isolated by her gender. In the Novel, Edna Pontellier’s alienation exposes the unjust moral values of a patriarchal society. Evidently, throughout the whole novel, Edna is conflicted by society as a result of her refusal to conform to it. Edna, living an unfulfilled life, yearns to find meaning and independence. Edna believes her family is holding her back from living a truly enriching life, even seeing her own …show more content…
She progresses to an ‘artist-woman’ role, which is more independent, and strays from the traditional roles of a woman. As an artist-woman, Edna has much more control of her life and has a strong sense of self. However, an artist-woman lacks a life of love and companionship, and tends to focus more on her art. Edna, finding herself unable to live a life without love, cannot settle for a life as an artist-woman and continues to pursue other roles. Then, she adopts the role of a ‘free-woman’ which is extremely oppositional to the traditional values of society at the time. As a free-woman, Edna is much more independent, chooses her own sexual partners, and does not answer to anyone. Though she is happy with her life as a free-woman, her strong interpellation as a mother cause her to recognize that she is unable to exist in a role that goes against society. Yet, due to her awakening as an individual, she cannot go back to her role as a mother-woman. As such, she decides upon herself that the only way to escape this oppressive ideology set up by the patriarchal society, is through
Society, although undoubtedly necessary, perpetuates an unduly restrictive set of expectations that few can live up to. In her novel The Awakening, Kate Chopin explores the psychological rebirth of protagonist Edna Pontellier, who comes to realize her dissatisfaction with her domestic role in nineteenth-century society. She cares for her husband Leonce and their two children, but seeks greater independence, risking Leonce’s disapproval by moving out of the house to pursue painting. In contrast, Edna’s friend Adele Ratignolle thrives as a housewife and mother, finding enjoyment in piano playing to benefit her household. In her attempt to achieve freedom, Edna finds inspiration in the reclusive pianist Mademoiselle Reisz, who advises Edna to rescind her societal ties in favor of becoming a true artist.
Until the middle of the twentieth century, females were in an inferior position to males in all aspects of society. Women who wanted to deviate from the norm were often restrained by males and isolated in a sphere of society’s “perfectly submissive housewife”, a stereotype which women of the world eventually shattered. Kate Chopin accomplished this through her realist piece, The Awakening.
Kate Chopin's novella, The Awakening. In Kate Chopin's novella, The Awakening, the reader is introduced into. a society that is strictly male-dominated where women fill in the stereotypical role of watching the children, cooking, cleaning and keeping up with appearances. Writers often highlight the values of a certain society by introducing a character who is alienated from their culture by a trait such as gender, race, or creed.
Edna’s suicide not only signifies the final resolution of the Edna’s struggle to defy the social construct and become independent, but, comparing to the first time Edna swims, suggests important changes within Edna. Edna’s resolution is one of defiant submission. Edna’s suicide effectively clears up any of Edna’s problems, and makes sure that no one could “possess her, body and soul” (351). However, Edna acknowledges that suicide is a cowardly way to detach herself from the world, as she contemplates that Reisz would have laughed because Edna has called herself an artist, but does not possess “the courageous soul that dares and defies” (351). While the scene of the climax may mirror a previous scene of Edna swimming in the water, with some of the same quotes, small changes, such as the “million lights of the sun” in the suicide scene comparing to the soothing night in the previous one and the “bird with a broken wing” in the suicide scene circling down into the ocean, suggest that Edna submits to the world powered by man, and does not have the courage to truly break out of the society, just like the bird with a broken
Sacrifices can define one’s character; it can either be the highest dignity or the lowest degradation of the value of one’s life. In The Awakening, Kate Chopin implicitly conveys the sacrifice Edna Pontellier makes in the life which provides insight of her character and attributions to her “awakening.” She sacrificed her past of a lively and youthful life and compressed it to a domestic and reserved lifestyle of housewife picturesque. However, she meets multiple acquaintances who help her express her dreams and true identity. Mrs. Pontellier’s sacrifice established her awakening to be defiant and drift away from the societal role of an obedient mother, as well as, highlighting the difference between society’s expectations of women and women’s
In the novel, The Awakening, before a realization of true misery, Edna Pontellier shaped her happiness around the ideals of money, family and responsibility. After acknowledging discontent, Edna abandons her stable life to fulfill her newly awakened character. Her epiphany leads her to have an impulsive attitude and selfish lifestyle in order to escape a world of responsibility. She reinvents herself and embraces her independence thus living sensuously in order to stop masking a happy life as a mother-woman. Edna Pontellier is trapped in a fruitless marriage and social requirements, but after finding her true self through an awakening, she decides to lead a reckless life based on desire in order to fulfill her new independent and liberated character.
The definition of the word awakening is :“a recognition, realization, or coming into awareness of something.”The term self realization means “fulfillment of one’s own potential.”
Edna Pontellier’s suicide is viewed as both a willful act to overcome society’s confining expectations, and as a weak resort to escape her fears of conforming to what a Creole woman is. At the same time Brother Odd from Good reads states that “drowning oneself and leaving one's children without the guidance of their mother is a tragedy”, I disagree and say it is a triumph. In The Awakening, Edna Pontellier, a distant wife and mother, overcomes the oppressive nature of the Creole society through her heroic journey of self- transformation.
In the novel The Awakening, Edna Pontellier the main character is portrayed as a confused wife who was trying to break away from her domestic responsibilities. In the late nineteenth-century woman of these times had a course of life already outlined for them from the moment they are born: early childhood life, teenage life helping out in the home and learning the roles of a wife, to ultimately becoming a wife, and taking care of domestic household duties as well as raising the children. At the time when Kate Chopin wrote this novel, was not a common choice. Artwork by women was outside the norm and was often banned, as was her work for this time. Edna tried to purse
The “awakening” she experiences is simply a rebirth of what used to be her true self. Marriage is obviously a barrier in the novel from beginning to end. Edna starts out obeying her husband’s every need, but as the novel progresses, she finally gains confidence and begins to disobey him and make her own decisions. Kate Chopin uses The Awakening to “set off a firestorm of complaints from critics scandalized by its frank treatment of a woman’s frustration with her marriage, her emotional and sexual awakening and her eventual suicide” (3-4) to show how the character Edna is the backbone of this
Edna seeks occupational freedom in art, but lacks sufficient courage to become a true artist. As Edna awakens to her selfhood and sensuality, she also awakens to art. Originally, Edna “dabbled” with sketching “in an unprofessional way” (Chopin 543). She could only imitate, although poorly (Dyer 89). She attempts to sketch Adèle Ratignolle, but the picture “bore no resemblance” to its subject. After her awakening experience in Grand Isle, Edna begins to view her art as an occupation (Dyer 85). She tells Mademoiselle Reisz that she is “becoming an artist” (Chopin 584). Women traditionally viewed art as a hobby, but to Edna, it was much more important than that. Painting symbolizes Edna’s independence; through art, she breaks free from her society’s mold.
...tionship she had until she was left with literally no reason to live. Throughout the novella, she breaks social conventions, which damages her reputation and her relationships with her friends, husband, and children. Through Edna’s thoughts and actions, numerous gender issues and expectations are displayed within The Awakening because she serves as a direct representation of feminist ideals, social changes, and a revolution to come.
Edna is a woman that has overcome many obstacles in her lifetime, but when she decides that she needs more than just her husband in her life, Edna’s life will
The 19th and 20th centuries were a time period of change. The world saw many changes from gender roles to racial treatment. Many books written during these time periods reflect these changes. Some caused mass outrage while others helped to bring about change. In the book The Awakening by Kate Chopin, gender roles can be seen throughout the novel. Some of the characters follow society’s “rules” on what a gender is suppose to do while others challenge it. Feminist Lens can be used to help infer and interpret the gender roles that the characters follow or rebel against. Madame Ratignolle and Leonce Pontellier follow eaches respective gender, while Alcee Arobin follows and rebels the male gender expectations during the time period.
In the deep abyss of Kate Chopin’s mind, Edna Pontellier was created. In Chopin’s story, The Awakening, Edna is a married mother of the late 1800s who goes through a series of events that lead up to her final decision; she had a husband who cared for her but was vigilant of her actions, children that did as they pleased because she was carefree, and friends who supported her throughout the whole ordeal by being by her side and trying to understand her standpoint on life. She has a turbulence of emotions throughout the book; she struggles with who she is, what her purpose is, and why she is the way she is.“Self-Reliance” demonstrates the turbulence Enda has found herself on through Emerson’s transcendentalist points of nature. “Self-Reliance”