Essay on The Awakening

Criticism of The Awakening

Reading through all of the different criticism of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening has brought about ideas and revelations that I had never considered during my initial reading of the novel. When I first read the text, I viewed it as a great work of art to be revered. However, as I read through all of the passages, I began to examine Chopin’s work more critically and to see the weaknesses and strengths of her novel. Reading through others' interpretations of her novel has also brought forth new concepts to look at again.

In "An American Madame Bovary," Cyrille Arnavon argues that “there seems to be insufficient justification for Edna’s ‘romantic’ suicide, and this is the main weakness of this fine novel” (185). Throughout the book, Edna is portrayed as a strong woman emerging from sleep and making her mark on the world. She starts earning her own money and moves out of her husband’s home into a home of her own. She shows an inner desire to be her own independent self.

In "The Ending of the Novel," George Spangler suggests that a prima...