Figurative Language In The Awakening

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 Kate Chopin’ s novel, The Awakening, there are three identities inside of the female leading role, Edna Pontellier, being a wife, mother and own self. Edna was born in 19th century at the Vitoria period, a patriarchy society, women have low freedom to achieve personal goal. She married with Léonce Pontellier, a wealthy man with Creole descent. After having a child, her life is still unchangeable and as bored as before. Until she encountered Robert Leburn, Mademoiselle Reisz, and Alcée Arobin, her value of self-cognition has changed.

In 1899, society bestowed a norm on women that includes solely maintaining their household and maintaining an honorable name. However, The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, characterizes women in a way they had never been written before, taking the standard role of woman away and giving them their own voice and needs. Chopin utilizes two women on opposite ends of the spectrum of society to compare Edna, the protagonist, to as she beings her journey through her transformation of morals and beliefs. During the late 1800s, creole women carry the responsibility of being beautiful mothers, who devote their lives to their families indefinitely.

In The Awakening, Kate Chopin uses gender roles to show that society is oppressive. During the time period that the novel was written, gender roles were very strict and they controlled all aspects of society. In fact, Jennifer Gray wrote, when discussing the impacts of gender roles, that “The hegemonic institutions of nineteenth-century society required women to be objects in marriage and in motherhood, existing as vessels of maternity and sexuality, with little opportunity for individuality” (53). The Awakening is a novel about Edna Pontellier's attempt to break free of the role she has been forced to assume by society through a spiritual, sexual and psychological awakening. Edna is a well off woman in society.

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.

Ask yourself how women are treated in today’s society. Now let’s go back in time. Kate Chopin’s novel “The Awakening” explores the journey of a woman named Edna Pontellier, as she tries to find her identity in a society where women are limited by the expectations of their gender. The novel was published in 1899 and was considered controversial because of its themes of female sexuality, infidelity, and the subversion of traditional gender roles. Chopin uses Edna’s experiences to comment on the restrictive gender roles and societal expectations of women in the late 19th century.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 novel, Edna often feels like her marriage was a misfortune. For example, Edna believes,

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.

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.