The Awakening written by Kate Chopin, is a novella about a woman named Edna, who desires to be an independent woman and break free from the typical 1800’s mold of society. Allusions are used to show how the characters behave and are affected by their surroundings and emotions. Throughout the story, Chopin uses them to connect the characters to the plot and make each scenario recognizable to the reader. “The foamy wavelets curled up to her white feet, and coiled like serpents about her ankles. She walked out.
In Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening” shows a controversial protagonist, Edna Pontellier. The character in the novel showed different expectations for women and their supposed roles. One literary critic, Megan Kaplon showed how this novel can be viewed as a struggle of the world or society around her. Edna in the story is trying to find freedom and individuality Kaplon mentions that “one of her most shocking actions was her denial of her role as a mother and wife.”
Kate Chopin’s The Awakening was written at the end of the nineteenth century, where many roles for women began to change; therefore, the it appears to have been a turning point for females (“The Role of the Wife and Mother”). These changes in female roles were mostly due to the actions of women themselves, motivated by their desires to break away from the limits imposed on their gender The nineteenth century was a critical point in time for women, in regards to their roles in society (“The Role of the Wife and Mother”). In The Awakening, Edna goes through noteworthy changes in the course of the novel, which reconstructs her into a woman who goes against societal ideals regarding motherhood and marriage . In the 1890s, motherhood was viewed
In the 1800’s, the societal niche of married women was clearly defined: they were meant to devote every aspect of their lives to their husbands and children. Edna Pontellier, the protagonist in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, struggles to adhere to these standards, and eventually rebels against them. The harsh standards placed on Edna and other women in the novel are like the cages around the metaphorical birds Chopin uses to represent them. Edna's unhappiness in her societal role is realized in the ocean, which symbolizes this awakening and her attempt to escape the gender roles of the nineteenth century.
Chopin is a forward thinking author who wrote for women and minorities. Racism and gender bias are problems that have continued to persist in our society despite activism attempting to rid our world of it. Identity is another problem many people have trouble muddling through. Chopin tackles relevant issues she witnessed in her lifetime of racism, gender bias, and identity issues utilizing the literary elements of foreshadowing, irony, symbolism, figures of speech, misleading of the reader, imagery, and setting; the literary devices assist in emphasizing the expectations Armand feels he must live up to because of the responsibility of his wealthy, powerful name by exacting a harsh rule on his slaves, commanding absolute supremacy over women,
Chopin is a forward thinking author who wrote for women and minorities. Racism and gender bias are problems that have continued to persist in our society despite activism attempting to rid our world of it. Identity is another problem many people have trouble muddling through. Chopin tackles relevant issues she witnessed in her lifetime of racism, gender bias, and identity issues utilizing the literary elements of foreshadowing, irony, symbolism, figures of speech, misleading of the reader, imagery, and setting; the literary devices assist in emphasizing the expectations Armand feels he must live up to because of the responsibility of his wealthy, powerful name by exacting a harsh rule on his slaves, commanding absolute supremacy over women, and casting away the wife and child he supposedly
Kate Chopin’s writing often consists of topics not necessarily thought as acceptable by her society. During Chopin's time women often remained home receiving credit for nothing at all. Women often were presumed as having no true value. Through her writing, Chopin gives women a new role in life. Her stories give a view into the daily struggles women go through.
Chopin empowers female sexuality by showing an woman who expresses sexual desire and lacks guilt and a legitimate excuse for the society, like men have been
In the novel, The Awakening written by Kate Chopin serves the epitome of feminist equality. Kate Chopin delivers a taboo message of woman’s independence and the role of woman undermined during the 19th century. The novel was banned until the 20 century, it was released to be read by modern society. Kate Chopin ends Edna Pontellier life at the end of the novel, inadvertently bewildering the readers to perceive her death’s whether as failure to complete her convention or victory to break away from restrains of a society dominated by man. Edna’s gradual awakening is mainly influence by Adele Ratingnolle, Robert Lebrun and Mariequita.
In The Awakening, Chopin uses other characters to display Edna Pontellier’s desires and social limitations to shape her new outlook on life. Mademoiselle Reisz and Madame Ratignolle play different roles in Edna’s development throughout the novel by influencing her to become a new woman in society. Mademoiselle Reisz is the most influential character toward Edna because she represents freedom and independence. She lives an unmarried, childless life dedicated to music such as the piano.
Chopin’s novel and short story provides awareness of the lack of independence and individuality that women are granted in that era. Chopin’s voices how Louise and Enda becomes accustom to living according to what the man of the house desires. “Then would be no power will bending hers in that blind persistence” (The Story of An hour). With Louise husband being gone, he would no longer interfere with her actions or even overrule what she has to say. Louise would be completely free from his authority.
Kate Chopin reveals how language, institutions, and expected behavior restrain the natural desires and aspirations of women in patriarchal societies. In 1894, when this story was formed, culture had its own structure on marriage and the conduct towards women. Gender roles play a major role throughout our history. They would decide whether a woman in colonial times would be allowed to join the labor
The role of women in literature crosses many broad spectrums in works of the past and present. Women are often portrayed as weak and feeble individuals that submit to the situations around them, but in many cases women are shown to be strong, independent individuals. This is a common theme that has appeared many times in literature. Across all literature, there is a common element that causes the suffering and pain of women. This catalyst, the thing that initiates the suffering of women, is essentially always in the form of a man.
Growing up as a woman has been quite difficult in this generation, however, growing up around thirty years ago must have been more difficult. Back in the 1900’s, women had different social norms to deal with in society. Women had to stay at home, be housewives, do the laundry, and cook while men went out and worked to obtain money for their family. In Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, she tells the struggles that women went through back in the 1990 's and the social norms that women had to go through. Chopin addresses many instances of symbolism to portray the feeling Mrs. Mallard has about her own thoughts and experiences with or without a man in her life.
Women in the 1890s were expected to work at home to keep their husbands comfortable and bear him children. Kate Chopin wrote most of her short stories during this time period. Her stories “A Respectable Woman” and “A Story of an Hour” show a female protagonist who want their freedom and control over their own lives. Her characters pushed the bounds of the roles that society gave them and showed the brutal reality of how women were treated in the 1890s. In “A Respectable Woman” the female protagonist Mrs. Baroda is married and lives on a plantation with her husband, who invites a friend to spend a week or two with them.