Breaking Chains: Edna Pontellier’s Struggle with Cultural Boundaries

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In the novel “The Awakening” it follows the final months of the story 's protagonist Edna Pontellier. By the end of the story Edna ends her own life after what I believe was a failed attempt on her trying to ‘break’ her cultural boundaries. This is all before she goes on an adventure one summer in pursuit of breaking the chains society had put on her. Something that the reader can follow her on and understand why she did what she did that summer. This novel in my eyes was portraying what cultural boundaries can do to people and how far you can push them before you begin to feel the pressure on you . In my eyes it is also the story of the oppressed, people who could not say anything about how they felt, in this case that is Edna a married woman …show more content…

He defines culture in two different ways in one he claims culture as part of a “Technology of Control”. He goes on to explain his reasoning by saying people in today’s societies follow their cultural boundaries in fear of having consequences if they were not to follow them. He explains how the consequences would not be severe but little implements similar to being the ‘odd’ one in your society. In the other definition he explains how he believes culture can also be described as a “Particular Network of Negotiations”. If you obey you are rewarded if you do not then it would lead to you eventually being blamed by your society. This is where Edna Pontellier comes into …show more content…

But Edna did just this, she completely went against her cultural boundaries, breaking them throughout the whole book and there are innumerable pieces of evidence that supports this. Including having an affair with Robert. A different type of ‘crime’ was also committed, but this time no one actually knows about it except herself and the readers. Right before Edna ends her life she had just come home after her summer adventure with Robert. She decides to take a swim keep in mind it is the end of summer and it is now getting a bit cold, therefore nearly all readers have an idea about what is about to happen. She changes into her bathing suit leaving her clothes behind another entity that is used to foreshadow her death. She eventually gets to edge of the beach where the beach and water meet and removes her bathing suit. She was now nude on the beach and was headed to her death. Now she had broken two enormous cultural boundaries back then, one was cheating on her husband a man who she was supposed to obey her entire life and now was cƒompletely nude out in public. Something that even looks unacceptable in the eyes of a few people

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