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Internal Events In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

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Eva Farrell Mrs. Schroder AP English Literature and Composition 3 January 2018 Internal Events Throughout The Awakening (1988 Prompt) The Awakening by Kate Chopin contains many internal awakenings the main character, Edna Pontellier, experiences. Edna Pontellier discovers her self-identity and self-empowerment once facing her fear of drowning by swimming in the sea. This one event changed Edna’s character by making her feel free and empowered. These self-awakenings Edna Pontellier experiences adds suspense and excitement to the novella because her new identity is more scandalous and out-of-the-norm for women living in the late 19th century. The internal conflict Chopin creates for Edna Pontellier through her multiple awakenings is what adds to the suspense, excitement, and climax in The Awakening. Chopin adds to the climax of the novella by showing how unhappy …show more content…

Readers only know Edna is having an affair with her husband. Edna grows a strong fondness over a young man named Robert, creating a sense of tension and suspense whenever Mr. Pontellier is brought up in the novella. Alcée Arobin is another man Edna grows a liking for later on in the novella while Robert is in Mexico and Mr. Pontellier in New York on a business trip. Edna and Alcée have a flirtatious relationship while Edna’s crush and husband are away, causing excitement to the novella because Edna is stirring up more drama in her life. The sexual awakening Edna experienced caused her desires for lust and love to heighten. Her relationship with her husband has become less passionate over the years, and Edna realizes how unhappy her marriage to Mr. Pontellier has become. The strain between Edna and her husband adds to the climax because it stems the multiple awakenings she experiences. The freedom and empowerment awakenings made Edna realize how she has control over her own life and can do whatever her heart

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