ipl-logo

The Awakening By Kate Chopin: A Literary Analysis

654 Words3 Pages

“Women have a much better time than men in this world; there are far more things forbidden to them.” This Oscar Wilde quote is a fitting example for women during the late 1800’s. This is especially true for our main characters’ in Charlotte Gilman’s short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Kate Chopin’s novella The Awakening. Both the protagonists experience whims that are forbidden to them due to their status as women. Chopin and Gilman utilize symbolism and point of view to illustrate the oppressed role of women in society during the nineteenth century. One element the authors use to develop the theme is symbolism. Chopin uses the ocean to display Edna’s desire for freedom. The water represents a form of release causing her to feel as if, “ some power had been given to control her body and soul” (Chopin 7). The water causes Edna to feel in control of her own life for the first time ever. The ocean represents liberation from the confinement of the oppressed home lives for women. Edna learns she has control over herself and that she is, “ no longer one of Leonce’s possessions” (Chopin 36.) Women were considered to be property to their husbands during the late 1800’s. The ocean is sharp contrast to the wallpaper in “The Yellow Wallpaper” represents a more literal form of imprisonment in …show more content…

The authors use of point of view causes the reader to be more understanding to the characters situation; along with point of view Gilman and Chopin’s usage of symbolism validates the characters rash behavior and decisions throughout the stories as they try to escape the oppression. Throughout history females have been set in a separate category from men with stricter rules and more expectations placed upon them; this creates an unjust and unequal playing field that women from every era have attempted to draw attention to in order to bring about

Show More
Related

  • Oppression In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

    1315 Words  | 6 Pages

    In the story, the only place where Edna could experience freedom and find her awakening was the sea. Thus, when she commits suicide one can see how the sea was the root for Edna finding her self-discovery. Through suicide individuals can see how it was the only escape for a woman who was living under oppression. Suicide not only shows that oppression was impossible to escape for a woman, but at the the same time it shows that suicide was the only way

    Read More

  • Ocean Symbolism In Brave New World

    1207 Words  | 5 Pages

    However, Edna’s excitement concerning the ocean soon turns to dread, beginning with when she experiences “ a certain ungovernable dread” and “a quick vision of death” while swimming, leaving her paralyzed in fear for a moment (Chopin 47- 48). Ultimately, Edna returns to the sea one final time at the end of the novel, overcome with a sense of despair as a result of her societal duress. Again, Chopin writes: “The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace” (Chopin 189). Though the description is the exact same, the connotation of the sea from Edna’s perspective has completely shifted. Specifically, the sea represents an end to the despair that has plagued Edna throughout the novel.

    Read More

  • What Is Edna's Allegory Of The Cave

    1171 Words  | 5 Pages

    Her frequent vacations to the island, like her frequent dips into the ocean, begin to spark a personal change within the woman. A Creole man, Robert, shows Edna a new dimension of feelings she never knew she lived without, and she begins to look through life through a new lens. Having been awakened for the first time, she sees injustice and mistreatment where she saw none before. Chopin uses Edna’s new observations and reactions to the culture around her to illustrate the myriad ways women were marginalized. In an ironic twist, the white woman from Kentucky proves to be more liberated than her more traditional husband, who grew up

    Read More

  • What Does Water Symbolize In The Awakening

    946 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, water, and flight symbolize Edna’s evolving freedom and escape. Kate Chopin uses water to symbolize the freedom that Edna is yearning for, and the consequences

    Read More

  • Outward Conformity In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

    825 Words  | 4 Pages

    Edna fully understands that society would brand her as a terrible woman, but she does not view herself as a bad person. There is an external and internal difference that Edna hopes to one day reconcile. Chopin, instead of creating tension within Edna, created tension within the society and Edna with her newfound independence does not mind how society classifies her. Decisively, it can be concluded that the tension between outward conformity and inward questioning builds the meaning of the novel by examining Edna’s role as a wife, mother, and as nontraditional woman in the traditional Victorian period.

    Read More

  • Water In The Awakening

    595 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening”, the main character, Edna Pontellier, becomes awakened to herself, her need for nonconformity, and her strength through water and the sea. The water and sea serves a multitude of everyday purposes such as swimming, bathing, and drinking. However, Edna’s experiences with water are extremely symbolic, “awakening” her as a woman(48). In her first experience of swimming- in which she had “attempted all summer to learn”-she grew “overconfident” and “wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before” (47).

    Read More

  • Edna Pontellier's Death In The Awakening

    687 Words  | 3 Pages

    As Edna is walking into the sea, Kate Chopin expands on the setting and states, “The water was chill, but she walked on. The water was deep, but she lifted her white body and reached out with a long sweeping stroke” (176). The emphasis is placed on the water, explaining how it affected Edna. Kate Chopin utilizes anaphora to accentuate the choices Edna makes and how it defines the meaning of becoming aware and conscious of one’s self wellbeing over others. Furthermore, Kate Chopin continues with, “She went on and on.

    Read More

  • Ocean Symbolism In The Awakening

    925 Words  | 4 Pages

    As Edna becomes more comfortable in the water, she also becomes more in touch with her own emotions. One particular night, Edna is able to swim farther into the ocean than she ever had before - the same night when she realizes her own distaste with her marriage and her role in society. Chopin writes that while Edna was in the water, “a feeling of exultation overtook her, as if some power of significant import had been given her to control the working of her body and her soul (Chopin 27)”. This

    Read More

  • The Yellow Wallpaper And Aunt Jennifer's Tigers: A Literary Analysis

    982 Words  | 4 Pages

    The work is not yet complete, and is evident by looking at the domination of women throughout the centuries, specifically the 19th and 20th century, which was the height of the women’s rights movement. By analyzing two literary works from two different eras, “The Yellow Wallpaper” written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in the late 19th century and “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” written by Adrienne Rich in the mid-20th century, one can conclude that while there have been improvements to women’s rights, there is still discrimination prevalent. Although set in two different time periods, the main

    Read More

  • Imagery In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

    844 Words  | 4 Pages

    2)First Swim Through the conch shell , Edna’s craving to break from the limiting island of society . Continually using the imagery of the sea as

    Read More

  • Comparing 'The Yellow Wallpaper And A Jury Of Her Peers'

    1006 Words  | 5 Pages

    Authors, especially female authors, have long used their writing to emphasize and analyze the feminist issues that characterize society, both in the past and the present. Kate Chopin, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Susan Glaspell wrote narratives that best examined feminist movements through the unreliable minds of their characters. In all three stories, “The Story of an Hour”, “The Yellow Wallpaper”, and “A Jury of Her Peers”, the authors use characterization, symbolism, and foreshadowing to describe the characters’ apparent psychosis or unreasonable behavior to shed light on the social issues that characterized the late 19th century and early 20th century. Penning many stories that demonstrate her opinions on the social issues of the era,

    Read More

  • Edna's Roles In The Awakening

    1386 Words  | 6 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Individuality In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

    425 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Awakening is a novel written by Kate Chopin that follows a woman named Edna Pontellier on her journey to self-awareness. Edna lived a comfortable lifestyle with her husband and two children in Louisiana during the 19th century. Despite obtaining all aspects to a perfect life, Edna became dissatisfied after meeting Robert Lebrun in Grand Isle. Robert sparked a desire for unlawful lust as well as a yearning for independence in a society full of conformed standards. Edna was unable to handle the pressures associated with achieving personal freedom which ultimately led to her death.

    Read More

  • The Awakening And Story Of An Hour Analysis

    822 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Role Of Women In Literature

    1495 Words  | 6 Pages

    These themes can be clearly seen in the short stories Chopin’s “The Story Of An hour”, Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”, and Hurston’s “Sweat”. These pieces of literature strongly portray how women are seen in instances

    Read More

More about The Awakening By Kate Chopin: A Literary Analysis

Open Document