Brendan Moxley Mrs. Barton AP Lang & Comp/p.6 28 October 2014 The Awakening Essay Throughout her novel The Awakening, Kate Chopin utilizes clear, picturesque diction to create a independent tone, bold extended metaphors, and varied syntax in order to express the necessity for women to discover and act as themselves at their own discretion despite society’s limiting standards. Chopin employs eloquent, depictive diction in order to create an unconstrained tone, to illustrate the setting, and to further emphasize that women should not be bound by society. An excellent example is found in Mademoiselle Reisz, a friend and role-model of Edna who voluntarily has not conformed to society’s expectation of her: she has never married, has no children, …show more content…
For example, Edna is metaphorically being related to “one who awakens gradually out of a dream,” and her wishes for a relationship outside of her dull, unsatisfying marriage are alluded to through the contrasting diction describing, “a delicious, grotesque, impossible dream.” However, when she “awakens,” she is depressed by the harsh reality that a relationship of this nature is unlikely due to society’s standards. Additionally, the reader can infer that Edna remained outside in a subtle act of defiance to her husband’s overbearing authority over her. Because of this, her fatigue ultimately signifies submission to her husband’s command, a command which “left her helpless and yielding to the conditions which crowded her in.” This drowsiness terminated “the exuberance which had sustained and exalted her spirit.” The metaphor comparing Edna to one who awakens from a dream shows that this submission was equally as disappointing to Edna as realizing that an enjoyable scenario is not a reality would be to a dreamer. Because of this, the reader knows that Edna longs for a forbidden relationship outside of her marriage and therefore has discovered herself and her
This does not effect the way Edna feels though, and eventually concludes with an affair with Robert. These affairs Edna becomes intertwined with is her greatest disregard for her husband, as well as, her attempt to become happy with who she is. Edna eventually realizes that she is her own person and is not the property of any man in society. She reacts to this by buying a different house with money she inherited from her mother, earned from her art, as well as, gambling on horse races. In actuality all the money belongs to her husband, because woman can not own property.
Even as Edna has almost completed her awakening she is still viewed as nothing more than a possession of her husband's that has no free will and must be let go in order to be with Robert. Her lack of freedom can also be seen in her role as a mother. At the time a mother was expected to dote on her children and care for their every need, Edna was incapable of doing
A victorian woman is pure, etiquette, and takes the role of a housewife. The novel, The Awakening, was written during a time when women were expected to follow these social standards. Edna Pontellier struggled to follow these ways and wanted a life full of freedom away from her husband and children. To show this translation in lifestyle, the author used symbolism. In the novel, The Awakening, the author Kate Chopin heavily relies on symbolism through birds and water.
This novel, The Awakening, is about a woman named Edna Pontellier learns to think of herself as an independent human being. Also, Edna Pontellier refuses to obey against the social norms by leaving her husband Leónce Pontellier and having an affair with Robert Lebrun. Kate Chopin describes societal expectations and the battle of fitting the mold of motherhood in the Awakening by how Edna Pontellier and Adele Ratignolle contribute to their family in different ways. Edna Pontellier’s attitude toward motherhood is that she is not a perfect mother-women. Adele Ratignolle’s attitude toward motherhood is that she is a perfect mother-women.
Dialectal Journal; The Awakening (Kate Chopin) Motif- The Sea Quote Literary/Style Elements Commentary Additional Ideas “There was no sound abroad except the hooting of an old owl in the top of a water-oak, and the everlasting voice of the sea, that was not uplifted at that soft hour.” (7) Personification Chopin’s use of personification demonstrates how the sea provides a feeling of comfort. The soft hour helps to communicate the feeling of comfort as Chopin tries to show how the setting of the sea is calming.
In the novel, Edna often feels like her marriage was a misfortune. For example, Edna believes,
Edna’s sense of self is further diminished by the way society treats her. She is expected to act as a passive and submissive wife and mother. She becomes very curious about her self-identity and searches for it throughout the novel. As the novel progresses, Edna begins to realize that she is not satisfied with the life she is living. She starts to question the purpose of her existence, and her dissatisfaction with her life becomes more apparent.
This realization is what inspires her decision to rebel against society’s standards for her. The sea also symbolizes Edna’s love, at first soft and sensuous, but ultimately causes her death Character Development Edna starts the novel a devoted wife who is concerned with pleasing her husband along with keeping up appearances. As she falls in love with Robert, she is more aware of her sexuality and decides she rather please herself, than her family.
Edna tries to satisfy this desire by taking part in an adulterous affair with Alcee Arobin, a known playboy. However, this relationship doesn’t satisfy Edna’s wish for companionship as she uses Alcee only to satisfy her sexual desires. This all changes once Edna meets Robert Lebrun, who invokes a sense of excitement and love in Edna. Edna sees her relationship with Robert as her only chance to gain freedom from the confines of society; additionally Robert gives Edna the chance to have a fulfilling relationship as opposed to her loveless one with Leonce. Although the two are deeply in love with one another, Robert is unable to reciprocate Edna’s desires to be together.
Edna from Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening” can be perceived as morally ambiguous because of her affiliations with other men, and role-defying actions; however, both contribute to “The Awakening” as a whole. Due to Edna being romantically involved with Robert, she can be perceived as morally
In the 19th century, a group of people launched the suffrage movement, and they cared about women’s political rights, their property and their body liberty. Born in that age, Kate Chopin was aware of the importance of setting an example for those who were taken in by the reality and poor women to be an inspiration. So we call her a forerunner of the feminist author for every effort she put in advocating women’s sexuality, their self-identity and women’s own strength. When people were ashamed of talking about sexuality, Kate Chopin stood out and call for women’s sexual autonomy.
There is a perceived split between “outer Edna and inner Edna” that is constantly disrupting Edna and her desires. Outer Edna is supposed to be recognized as this ideal wife who obeys her husband and does what he commands-similar to her friend Adele. This lifestyle that Edna is supposed to live by cannot be achieved due to “inner Edna’s” desire of being free and independent. “Outer Edna” conforms to society expectations even if it is not what she desires, while “inner Edna” seeks independence and
The other reason makes Edna realize her own self is swimming, as if a release to her. Refer to what she said in the novel, to beyond other women, it can express that her aspiration on being alternative and get rid of the constraint from the society. Also that is the first body contact with Robert, she find herself in the ocean, and there is the place she longing, also aware of the freedom. Robert, is a boy she falls in love with, yet she aware of that, if she marries to Robert, her future just same as now, she will lose her freedom.
In the late 1800s society assigned to women a specific role to play. The role included bearing children, caring for them, and honoring their husbands. People saw women who took jobs outside of the home or who never married as deranged. Kate Chopin highlights the female duties of the time in her novel, The Awakening, through the use of foils Edna and Adele. Adele represents the model of how an ideal women of the 19th century should behave and feel.
In Kate Chopin 's novel The Awakening and the short story “The Story of An Hour” feminist beliefs overshadow the value in moral and societal expectations during the turn of the century. Due to Louise Mallard and Edna Pontellier Victorian life style they both see separating from their husband as the beginning of their freedom. Being free from that culture allows them to invest in their personal interest instead of being limited to what 's expected of them. Chopin 's sacrifices her own dignity for the ideal of society’s expectations. Chopin 's sad, mysterious tone seems to support how in their era, there was a significant lack of women 's rights and freedom of expression.